The film “DAU,” directed by Ilya Krzhanovsky, won the “Silver Lion” for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, despite official protests from Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture called on the festival organizers to reconsider the film’s participation in the competition due to controversies surrounding its funding and ties to Russia.
In a joint statement dated August 17, Ukrainian diplomats highlighted the fact that “DAU” was financed by Russian oligarch Sergei Adonyev, who is subject to sanctions in Ukraine and the United States. They also raised the issue of conductor Teodor Currentzis’s Russian citizenship, which, according to Ukrainian authorities, he received by decree of Vladimir Putin.
In addition, they pointed out that Kharkiv, which has been suffering from Russian shelling, is depicted in the film against a Soviet-era backdrop, which drew further criticism. Nevertheless, on August 18, the Venice Biennale rejected these arguments, stating that “DAU” is a German production with French and Swedish participation and that the collaboration with Adonyev ended back in 2019.
Krzhanovsky, as the festival organizers noted, does not hold Russian citizenship and takes an anti-war stance. The festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, characterized the criticism of the film as a smear campaign, noting that many critics had not even watched the film.
On September 12, the Venice Film Festival jury awarded Khrzhanovsky the “Silver Lion” for Best Director, a prize the director dedicated to Kharkiv and the Ukrainian people. The festival’s top prize, the “Golden Lion,” went to a film by Danish-Egyptian director Mai el-Touhi.
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