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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Lifestyle

Cannes latest in culture industry to protest the Russian invasion

Festival de Cannes 2021 © Miguel Martins/RFI

The organisers of the Cannes Film festival on Tuesday announced that Russian delegations will not be welcome at this year's event in May because of the invasion of Ukraine.

"The Cannes Festival wishes to express all its support to the Ukrainian people," its team said in a statement.

"We are adding our voice to those who oppose this unacceptable situation and denounce the attitude of Russia and its leaders.

"It has been decided - unless the war of aggression ceases under conditions that satisfy the Ukrainian people - to not welcome official delegations from Russia or to accept the slightest presence linked to the Russian government."

Russia invaded Ukraine last week, sparking international outrage and causing the United States and its Western allies to impose stinging sanctions.

Ukraine says more than 350 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed so far in the conflict and the International Criminal Court has opened a war crimes investigation against Russia.

Cannes organisers said they "saluted" the courage of all Russians taking the risk of protesting the invasion, and Russian artists and film professionals who have stood up against the current government.

"Faithful to its history, which began in 1939 in resistance to fascist and Nazi dictatorship, the Cannes Festival will always put itself at the service of artists and film professionals who raise their voices against violence, repression and injustice," the statement added.

Venice Biennale

Cannes is just one of many events in the world of arts and culture that has excluded Russian participation in solidarity with Ukrainian citizens.

On Monday, the curator and artists of Russia's pavilion at the Venice Biennale resigned over the war in Ukraine.

Kirill Savchenkov, Alexandra Sukhareva and curator Raimundas Malasauskas "resigned from their positions, thereby cancelling the participation in the 59th International Art Exhibition" which runs from 23 April to 27 November, organisers said.

"There is nothing left to say, there is no place for art when civilians are dying under the fire of missiles, when citizens of Ukraine are hiding in shelters, when Russian protesters are getting silenced," Russian-born Savchenkov wrote on Instagram.

The Biennale said it "expresses its complete solidarity for this noble act of courage and stands beside the motivations that have led to this decision, which dramatically epitomises the tragedy that has beset the entire population of Ukraine".

"La Biennale remains a place where peoples meet in art and culture, and condemns all those who use violence to prevent dialogue and peace," it added in a press statement.

Ballet, Orchestras

Germany's Munich Philharmonic on Tuesday fired Russian conductor and Kremlin loyalist Valery Gergiev after he failed to denounce Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The 68-year-old has come under pressure from classical music institutions across Europe and had already been dropped from a slew of prestigious concerts.

The move by the Munich Philharmonic came after Gergiev ignored a Monday deadline to publicly distance himself from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Gergiev has not yet spoken publicly regarding Moscow's offensive.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) presents a Hero of Labour award to Mariinsky theatre director Valery Gergiev during an awards ceremony in St. Petersburg May 1, 2013.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) presents a Hero of Labour award to Mariinsky theatre director Valery Gergiev during an awards ceremony in St. Petersburg May 1, 2013. EUTERS/Alexei Nikolsky/Ria Novosti/Pool

But he has proven loyal to Putin in the past, allying with him on the 2014 annexation of Crimea and a law aimed at stifling LGBT rights activists in Russia.

Gergiev had in recent days already been dropped from upcoming concerts at the Philharmonie concert hall in Paris, New York's Carnegie Hall and Milan's La Scala theatre.

The Edinburgh International Festival has also cut ties with him, as has Switzerland's Verbier Festival, as well as his agent in Germany, Marcus Felsner.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic ended a collaboration with Gergiev that dated back to 1988. The Gergiev Festival in the Dutch city was also scrapped.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, French ballet master Laurent Hilaire announced his resignation from his position as director of the Stanislavski Theatre company in Moscow over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I am departing with a heavy heart, but the context no longer allows me to work with peace of mind," he told French news agency AFP on Sunday.

Russian artists under pressure

Elsewhere, Russian diva Anna Netrebko announced she was taking a step back from performing after sparking controversy with a Facebook post that condemned the war in Ukraine, but also said it was "not right" to force artists to voice their political opinions.

"After careful consideration, I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from concert life until further notice," Netrebko said in a statement shared by German concert promoter River Concerts.

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko
Russian soprano Anna Netrebko APA/AFP

Netrebko, one of the world's most in-demand opera singers and a vocal supporter of Putin in the past, had been due to perform at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie on Wednesday.

The event has now been postponed until September.

London's Royal Opera House also indicated last Friday it was cancelling a season of performances by Moscow's famed Bolshoi Ballet.

No Eurovision for Russia

No Russian entertainers will be permitted to take part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European Broadcasting Union said last Friday.

The call to exclude Russia from this year's Eurovision in Italy was "based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU", the body said.

In addition, Russia residents will also be blocked from voting in the competition.

"They are completely excluded from the whole event," an EBU spokesman told AFP.

The song contest "promotes international exchange and understanding, brings audiences together, celebrates diversity through music and unites Europe on one stage."

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