Cannes Film Festival, born out of war, grapples with Ukraine

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Sergei Loznitsa, one of Ukraine's most acclaimed filmmakers, was putting the finishing touches on his documentary “The Natural History of Destruction” when Russian invaded Ukraine in February. “It seems possible for us as humans to be thrown back 80 years to the stage where all these atrocities and terrible things were possible.” “If we want to remain human, we need to stop this,” added Loznitsa, the director of “Donbass” and “Babi Yar.” “This should not be acceptable to a civilized society.” The Cannes Film Festival was born out of war. On opening night last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged filmmakers to take up the mantle of Charlie Chaplin's “The Great Dictator” and “demonstrate that the cinema of our time is not silent." Cannes' artistic director, Thierry Fremaux, acknowledged on the eve of the festival that he had wrestled with the decision but ultimately decided to screen “Tchaikovsky’s Wife” since the film took funding from Abramovitch before sanctions were enacted, and because Serebrennikov challenges state propaganda.