American director Woody Allen has been blacklisted as Ukraine's enemies by the "Peacemaker" website, UNIAN reported.
The reason is his participation in the Moscow International Film Festival. Woody Allen appeared in the database of the "Peacemaker" website, which publishes information about Russian war criminals and people who publicly support the criminal actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
On the "Peacemaker" website, opposite the director's name and date of birth, it is written that he knowingly participated in a Russian propaganda campaign. Woody Allen took part in the Moscow International Film Festival online and said how much he likes Russian cinema.
In a comment to a newspaper “The Guardian“ Allen blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war in Ukraine and sought to distance his speech at the Moscow event from politics. “As for the conflict in Ukraine, I firmly believe that Vladimir Putin is absolutely wrong. The war he has started is terrible. But whatever politicians do, I don't think stopping artistic conversations is ever a good way to help,“ he said.
However, Woody Allen has come under fire from Ukraine, which has sharply criticized him. “Woody Allen's participation in the Moscow International Film Week is a disgrace and an insult to the sacrifice of Ukrainian actors and directors who have been killed or injured by Russian war criminals in the ongoing war against Ukraine,“ Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said. “Allen has chosen to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that Russia has been committing in Ukraine every day for 11 years "since," the statement said, referring to Moscow's annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Culture should not be used to cover up crimes or as a tool for propaganda, the ministry added. Allen was invited to speak at the 47th edition of the festival on Sunday.
The event was moderated by pro-Kremlin director and actor Fyodor Bondarchuk, who is subject to Western sanctions for his support for the war in Ukraine, DPA reported. During the interview, Allen expressed his admiration for Bondarchuk's father, director Sergei Bondarchuk. "I have always liked Russian cinema," Allen said. The 89-year-old director dodged the question of whether he would like to make a film in Russia and refrained from political comments, DPA reported, BTA reported.