Director Ilia Khrzhanovski defends actor amid Venice Film Festival controversy

At the Venice Film Festival, director Ilia Khrzhanovski addressed controversy surrounding his new film, ‘DAU’. The film features Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis playing the role of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Lev Landau.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the film's inclusion in the festival, specifically citing Currentzis's decision to continue living and working in Russia without publicly condemning the invasion of Ukraine. In response to these criticisms, Khrzhanovski stated that ‘each person pays for their own choice’ regarding their life and destiny.

Khrzhanovski, who has renounced his Russian citizenship and lives in exile in Germany, expressed support for the Ukrainian government, stating his wish is for peace and for Ukraine to win the war. While Currentzis missed the premiere due to a ‘last-minute emergency’, the director defended him as one of the greatest conductors of the era.