Now his participation in the festival is being criticized from the Ukrainian side, and is described as "a shame and an insult to the Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who have been killed or injured by Russian war criminals during the Russian aggression against Ukraine", writes Politico.
"By participating in a festival together with Putin supporters and spokespeople, Allen is consciously ignoring the atrocities that Russia has committed in Ukraine every day for eleven years. Culture should never be used to whitewash crimes or serve as a propaganda tool", writes the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Allen was interviewed by director Fyodor Bondarchuk, who has openly supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and talked, among other things, about AI and described a visit to the Soviet Union as a bleak experience. He also praised Russian film and said that he could potentially consider making a film in Russia, even though he has not yet received any offers.
In a statement to The Guardian, 89-year-old Allen says that "Vladimir Putin is completely wrong. The war he has caused is terrible. But no matter what politicians do, I do not think it is ever helpful to cut off artistic discussions".
