The dissident Russian film director Kirill Serebrennikov is calling for the lifting of sanctions on Roman Abramovich, one of the investors behind his latest film. The Russian oligarch, now trying to sell Chelsea football club because of financial restrictions imposed on on him by the British government, was a valuable patron of the arts, said the director.
Abramovich’s record as a sponsor of important cinema should be taken into account, Serebrennikov added, speaking at the Cannes film festival. “We have to lift the sanctions against Abramovich. He has been a real patron of the arts and in Russia this has always been appreciated,” the director said after Wednesday night’s premiere of his film Tchaikovsky’s Wife, which is in competition for the festival’s coveted Palme d’Or prize.
