Woody Allen has pushed back against Ukrainian criticism of his participation in the Moscow International Film Week, stating he does not believe cutting off artistic conversations is a helpful way to address the conflict in Ukraine. The director appeared via remote link at the event, which is hosted by Fyodor Bondarchuk, a long-time political ally of Vladimir Putin.
In a statement to the Guardian, Allen said: 'When it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, I believe strongly that Vladimir Putin is totally in the wrong. The war he has caused is appalling. But, whatever politicians have done, I don’t feel cutting off artistic conversations is ever a good way to help.'
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier condemned Allen’s involvement, calling it 'a disgrace and an insult to the sacrifice of Ukrainian actors and film-makers who have been killed or injured by Russian war criminals'. The ministry added that by taking part in the festival, Allen was choosing to turn a blind eye to Russian atrocities.
Russian media reported that Allen expressed admiration for Russian cinema, particularly the Oscar-winning adaptation of War and Peace from 1969, and said he had only good feelings for Moscow and St Petersburg. Allen’s last two films were financed from European sources after his production deal with Amazon was cancelled in 2019 following renewed allegations of sexual abuse, which he denies.
