Ukrainian filmmaker Alina Gorlova sends an open letter addressing the Russian attack on Ukraine - Cineuropa

Ukrainian filmmaker Alina Gorlova sends an open letter addressing the Russian attack on Ukraine - Cineuropa




UKRAINE
Ukrainian filmmaker Alina Gorlova sends an open letter addressing the Russian attack on Ukraine

by Cineuropa


08/03/2022 - The director of documentary This Rain Will Never Stop has urged the international community to "block Russian cinema" until the aggression is over


Ukraine's Alina Gorlova, director of documentaries No Obvious Signs [+] and This Rain Will Never Stop [+], has sent an open letter addressing the Russian attack on Ukraine and urging to "block Russian cinema" until the aggression is over.

(This is part of a series of open letters about the war that we are receiving from Ukrainian talent - read all of them here).
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Her letter:

"Russia has committed a crime. Against Ukraine, against Europe, against the whole world. This crime is the collective responsibility of all citizens of the Russian Federation. Collective responsibility means collective. I call on all film festivals, all foundations, all international institutions to block the cinema from the Russian Federation. We currently have a large number of films in production, including co-productions. This war has called into question our ability to fulfill our obligations to our partners. All of our films that are due out this year are unlikely to be released.

Instead, Russian cinema will be presented to the world. This cannot be allowed. All Russian cinema must be blocked. I insist on the following movie lock markers:
- country of manufacture Russia,
- a Russian director who has lived in Russia for the last two years,
- a Russian director who has not publicly condemned the actions of the Russian authorities for the last 8 years regarding the aggression against Ukraine,
- a Russian director who opposed the blockade of Russian cinema.

I urge you to block Russian cinema until the aggressor takes the following steps:
- complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine outside the state corridor, including the liberation of Crimea and Donbas,
- payment of reparations to Ukraine for losses due to the Russian military aggression against Ukraine since 2014
- completion of the investigation into Russia's crimes against Ukraine in Hague.

Until Russia publicly acknowledges the fallacy of its actions or is convicted under all the laws of international law, I consider inadmissible any representation and support of Russian cinema."

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Vladimir Tikhonov

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I understand how Gorlova feels, her country being currently destroyed by the Russian military. It is fully natural and fully understandable. But…there is another side to the issue as well. A number of Russian directors and actors strongly condemned the illegal aggression. They will probably face sanctions by Russian authorities - and maybe they will be lucky if the authorities will limit themselves to sanctioning their artistic productions only. Russia is a place where you can get up to 15 years in prison for calling this war a ‘war’ - basically, for calling a spade a spade. What will happen to these people if West ‘cancels’ them as well? Shouldn’t we try to build a bridge of solidarity with anti-war opposition inside the aggressor state? This said, I fully understand Gorlova’s sentiments, of course.