Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outshone all of the stars at the Cannes Film Festival after he addressed the opening night crowd of actors and filmmakers, delivering an emotional plea on behalf of his war-torn country. Appearing via video link, Zelenskyy had festival-goers dabbing their eyes.
“We continue fighting,” Zelenskyy said. “We have no choice but to continue fighting for our freedom.”
Zelenskyy’s remarks came shortly before the premiere of “Final Cut,” a wacky zombie comedy that seems far removed from the brutality on display in Ukraine after Russia’s illegal invasion. He sounded a passionate rallying cry.
“I’m sure that the dictator will lose,” Zelenskyy said, in reference to Vladimir Putin, adding “We will win in this war. Glory to Ukraine.”
The war in Ukraine looms large over this year’s Cannes. Several films featured at the festival, such as “The Natural History of Destruction,” the latest documentary from Ukranian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, as well as screen the final movie from Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius, a Ukraine-set documentary that the director was shooting in the city of Mariupol when he was killed in early April.
Cannes also waded into the political situation in other ways, banning Russians with ties to Vladimir Putin’s government from the festival.
More to come…
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