A three-minute video message from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a harrowing tribute to the children killed in Ukraine formed part of the opening ceremony of the 79th Venice Film Festival this evening.
The story of the war “is beyond the limits of humanity and common sense,” said Zelenskyy, in his latest address to the film community, having previously spoken at events including the opening of Cannes Film Festival this year.
Scroll down to read Zelenskyy’s message in full
“It is a drama based on real-life events,” continued the president, who was an actor before he moved into politics. “The one played out in real life by flesh-and-blood subhumans – the killers, butchers, the terrorists. A tragedy not to the score of genial Morricone; but rather to the tune of ugly chastushkas and sounds of explosions, shots and air raid alert wails. A horror, which is not 120 minutes but 189 days long.”
“Your stance is important, your voice matters, your word is strong!” he said, speaking to what the film industry can do to help. “The least you can do – rather should not do – is NOT to remain silent, NOT to be afraid, NOT to turn your back upon, NOT to walk on by, NOT to remain neutral to the war in Ukraine, the one Russia has unleashed.”
Part way through the message, he introduced a list of names of children who have been killed since the war started in Ukraine. The names of 358 children then rolled on a black screen, of ages from 17 years old to just a few weeks. Replicating the familiar style of post-film credits, the harrowing message played to complete silence in the Sala Grande.
Further statistics, which the message said came from ‘officially established data’, said more than six million people have been forced to move to other regions of Ukraine; with more than five million – mostly women and children – forced to find refuge abroad.
The message described the dead children’s names as ‘The Kremlin List’, before ending with the question ‘To Be Continued?’
Festival returns in force
Prior to Zelenskyy’s message, the ceremony celebrated Venice’s 90th anniversary, with the first edition of the festival having taken place in 1932.
Introducing honorary Golden Lion recipient Catherine Deneuve, director and French compatriot Arnaud Desplechin described the actress as “my heroine”. Greeted by a standing ovation from the packed room, Deneuve said she was “very pleased and very proud” to receive the award.
She recalled her first visit to the festival in 1967 with a film that remains among her most iconic – Luis Bunuel’s Belle de Jour, winner of the Golden Lion that year.
Deneuve also emphasised that she is still working, at the age of 78; as revealed by Screen, she will shoot Hanna Ladoul and Marco Sa Via’s English-language comedy Funny Birds for TF1 Studio later this year.
Venice was one of the few festivals to hold physical editions in both of the previous two years, although both were affected by the pandemic to varying degrees. This year’s opening ceremony, hosted by Spanish actress Rocio Munoz Morales, reinforced the return of the festival to its prior glory. Festival directors in attendance included Cannes’ Thierry Fremaux and Berlin’s Carlo Chatrian, seen deep in conversation shortly before the ceremony began; plus Vanja Kaludjercic of Rotterdam and Locarno’s Giona A Nazzaro.
The stars were also out in force, including politician Hillary Clinton; supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio; Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page; singer Pixie Lott; and musician James Murphy, aka. LCD Soundsystem. The latter was part of the team alongside Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig from Noah Baumbach’s festival opener White Noise, with Baumbach having asked Murphy to “write a really catchy, funny song about death” for the closing credits, as the director revealed at the press conference earlier that day.
The festival continues tomorrow with the world premiere of Todd Field’s TÁR in Competition, before Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s semi-autobiographical Bardo plays on Friday.
President Zelenskyy video message
I appreciate this possibility of addressing you today to tell our story, the one of Ukraine, its nation, and the war Russia has been waging against us for 189 days. The story is out of competition as it also is beyond the limits of humanity and common sense. It is a drama based on real-life events. The one played out in real life by flesh-and-blood subhumans – the killers, butchers, the terrorists. A tragedy not to the score of genial Morricone; but rather to the tune of ugly chastushkas and sounds of explosions, shots and air raid alert wails. A horror, which is not 120 minutes but 189 days long. 189 days of war going on in Ukraine, the one Europe and the whole world, they say, have become fatigued. This is what Russia is saying. This is what Russia is wanting. This is what Russia is aspiring. A low-brow plot in three scenes to nudge the world to make three dramatic mistakes of getting used to the war, reconciling with the war, forgetting about the war. The design of theirs should never turn into reality. Cultural figures, film directors, producers, actors, playwrights, cameramen, composers, artistical directors, set designers, film critics and thousands others from different countries worldwide, and from one and the same film family! Your stance is important, your voice matters, your word is strong! The least you can do – rather should not do – is NOT to remain silent, NOT to be afraid, NOT to turn your back upon, NOT to walk on by, NOT to remain neutral to the war in Ukraine, the one Russia has unleashed. Ladies and gentlemen, for some, the power is only in missiles and nukes. For us, the power is in philosophy, mentality, in senses and words. For us, it is also in armaments. I wish every country, every nation, every institution and community around the world has a crystal-clear feeling of what Ukraine is currently living through. This war should be heard about in clearest possible language. The cinematic tongue is the one you all speak. You are not going to see the blood-curdling scenes of explosions, shots, ruins and billowing smoke. The pain, the tears. You are going to see what the majority is generally spared of – an intrinsic part of each film hardly noticed by the majority. The names are important; they go down to oblivion and obscurity because at the moment they appear on screen most of the viewers do only two things; they stand up and leave. But I do know their first move is the most important one. The second should not be possible.
The list of names played on screen, before Zelenskyy continued.
Every time you hear someone telling about his or her fatigue of Ukraine – remember those captions. Getting tired of Ukraine means brushing the names away, forgetting them. I am sure the whole civilised world will never do this. It will never give up, it will remain with Ukraine. Until the end, the victorious end when the truth and the justice will be met with applause. Glory to Ukraine.
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