'Supporting more terror' — Ukraine slams Russian flag display at Venice Film Festival
Ukraine's foreign and culture ministries condemned the display of the Russian flag at the Venice International Film Festival in a joint statement released on Aug. 28.
The 82nd Venice Film Festival runs from Aug. 27 to Sept. 9. For the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, the Russian flag was raised alongside those of other countries.
"The organizers prefer to turn a blind eye and further ruin the festival’s reputation," the statement read.
The reaction came after Russia launched another mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight on Aug. 28, killing 23 people, including four children, and injuring more than 60 others.
Ukrainian authorities said that giving Russia a platform on the international cultural stage "is not about freedom to create art but about hypocrisy, indifference, and supporting more terror."
"The only thing the Venice Film Festival must do now is to make itself free from Russia’s presence and Russian flag," the ministries added.
The festival's out-of-competition lineup includes "Notes of a True Criminal" by Ukrainian producer Alexander Rodnyansky, who worked in Russia for the past 20 years, and critic Andriy Alferov, as well as "Director’s Diary" by Russian director Alexander Sokurov.
Last year, the Venice Film Festival screened "Russians at War," a documentary by Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova. The movie drew sharp criticism in Ukraine, where it was viewed as an attempt to humanize Russian soldiers participating in the war against Ukraine.
