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Russian filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky addressed controversy surrounding his Venice Film Festival competition entry “DAU” by reaffirming his opposition to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The director, who has been designated as an enemy of the Russian state, stated that his stance against the war has remained unwavering since before the 2022 invasion. He expressed his desire for the Ukrainian government to achieve victory and successfully preserve the nation.
Ukrainian officials had challenged the film’s presence at the prestigious festival, questioning its connections to Russian state interests and expressing concern about platforming a project with such ties during wartime. Venice’s artistic director Alberto Barbera subsequently defended the selection, characterizing Khrzhanovsky as a dissident who has consistently opposed Russian aggression. The filmmaker acknowledged that oligarch Sergei Adoniev initially financed the project between 2008 and 2019, though he emphasized the funding structure has evolved substantially over the past seven years.
When questioned about lead actor Teodor Currentzis, a Greek-Russian conductor who has not explicitly condemned Putin or the invasion, Khrzhanovsky declined to offer direct criticism. Instead, he emphasized that individuals bear responsibility for their personal choices and stated he prefers to focus on his own conduct and artistic integrity. The three-hour-fifteen-minute film chronicles Soviet physicist Lev Landau’s life across four decades.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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