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Protagonist of film about war in Ukraine questions happiness in Venice

As Venice rolled out its red carpet for the opening of its film Festival a week ago, the director Evgeny Afineevsky was rushing to finish his documentary about the invasion of Ukraine for the Russia .

He managed to meet the tightest deadlines, with “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” having its world premiere in Venice on Wednesday, vividly portraying the impact of the ongoing conflict on ordinary civilians.

“Literally, this movie was finished on the night of August 30th-31st, so you’re really seeing something straight from the ground of war,” Afineevsky said.

While battles are still raging in Ukraine, the Russian-born filmmaker said it’s vital to start telling war stories right away.

“If we don’t show the world today what exactly is happening in Ukraine… Then we are committing a crime,” he said, warning that unless everyone rises up against Russia, she will soon seek to reclaim other parts of the territory.

The documentary is a continuation of the film nominated for Oscar from 2015, “Winter on Fire” by Afineevsky, which tracks the massive street protests that led to the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

“We thought it was the end, but it was really just the beginning,” said Afineevsky.

Ukraine has stood out in Venice this year from the start, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaking at the opening ceremony, asking filmmakers to shine a light on the war. “Don’t turn your back on us… Don’t be neutral,” he said.

Several actors and directors wore Ukrainian badges, with the British star Tilda Swinton going further, with her hair dyed yellow and wearing a blue tank top named after the Ukrainian flag when she gave a press conference on Tuesday.

This Wednesday, the cast and crew of another Ukrainian film shown in Venice, “Luxembourg, Luxembourg” used their Lido photo to show their support for their fellow countrymen.

“Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thousands of Ukrainian children have been left without parents,” read a banner they unfurled to the assembled photographers.

One of the protagonists of “Freedom on Fire”, the journalist Natalia Nagorna said it was surreal to be in Venice’s postcard after months of reporting from the Ukrainian frontline.

“You feel like you’re on a different planet, where people are happy and are convinced that war will never come to them. We had beautiful cities in Ukraine too until they were destroyed by the Russians,” she said.

Source: CNN Brasil

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