The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned American director Woody Allen for speaking virtually at a Russian film festival.
The ministry called his participation “a disgrace and an insult” to victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Russian state media, Allen appeared by video link at the Moscow International Film Week on Sunday.
Highlights
- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned Woody Allen's virtual appearance at the Moscow International Film Week as a disgrace and insult to Ukraine’s victims.
- Allen defended his participation, calling Putin's war "appalling," but arguing that cutting off artistic conversations is not helpful.
- Many Hollywood artists have supported Ukraine since 2022.
Ukraine condemned Woody Allen for speaking at a Russian film festival
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Russian television broadcast Allen on a large screen inside a crowded theater, with pro-Kremlin filmmaker Fyodor Bondarchuk moderating the session.
Allen, 89, spoke about his earlier visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg, saying he has always been fond of Russian films.
He also spoke about what he would do if he were to receive a proposal to direct a movie in the country.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reacted strongly with a message online, saying it “strongly condemns” Allen’s participation in the festival that “brings together supporters and mouthpieces of Putin.”
The ministry said it was “a disgrace and an insult to the victims among Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who have been killed or wounded by Russian war criminals,” and that Allen “is deliberately turning a blind eye to the atrocities that Russia has been committing in Ukraine.”
Allen responded to the criticism in a statement, first released by The Guardian on Monday.
He condemned Russia’s invasion but defended his decision to engage with Russian filmmakers.
“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,” Allen said.
“But, whatever politicians have done, I don’t feel cutting off artistic conversations is ever a good way to help.”
The festival’s website listed Allen as one of its keynote speakers, along with Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica and American actor Mark Dacascos.
Kusturica has been open about his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, has received an award from Putin, and attended a military parade in Moscow earlier this year.
Moscow International Film Week is a relatively new event, first held in 2024, and is separate from the older Moscow International Film Festival, which lost international accreditation in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Allen has often cited Russian writers as major influences on his career. His 1975 comedy Love and Death parodied the works of Tolstoy and other Russian authors, while his 1989 film Crimes and Misdemeanors drew inspiration from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
This appearance places him at odds with many of his Hollywood colleagues. Since 2022, prominent actors and filmmakers have supported Ukraine’s cause, and many have signed on to the United24 crowdfunding campaign initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Allen defended his actions and called Putin’s war in Ukraine ‘appalling’
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Zelenskyy himself has addressed major entertainment events, including the Golden Globes and the Grammys, urging support for Ukraine.
Allen’s career has long been overshadowed by allegations of sexual abuse made by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. She first accused him in 1992 of molesting her when she was 7 years old.
The controversy resurfaced years later, especially during the #MeToo movement. Dylan Farrow had repeated her claims in interviews and in the 2021 HBO documentary Allen v. Farrow, while Allen has continued to reject them as false.
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The allegations had initially emerged soon after Allen’s ex-partner, Mia Farrow, discovered that Allen was in a sexual relationship with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Previn was not Allen’s child, but her relationship with him, which began when she was a college student, caused a public scandal.
Allen and Soon-Yi married in 1997 and later adopted two daughters together.
The controversy caused several actors to distance themselves from the Oscar-winning director, and his 2019 production deal with Amazon collapsed. While his reputation has suffered damage in Hollywood, Allen has continued making films in Europe.