Director Ilya Khrzhanovsky Defends DAU Amid Ukrainian Accusations of Russian Propaganda

Facing a joint statement from Ukraine’s foreign and cultural ministries and its embassy in Italy, director Ilya Khrzhanovsky took to Facebook to dispute accusations that his three-hour film DAU serves Russian propaganda. He highlighted that he relinquished Russian citizenship in protest of the Russian Federation’s policies and that the film’s financing by Sergei Adoniev ceased in 2019, before any sanctions were imposed.

Khrzhanovsky also noted that the extensive footage was captured in Kharkiv between 2008 and 2011, well before the current conflict. He defended lead actor Teodor Currentzis, a Greek conductor who acquired Russian citizenship in 2014, saying his nationality should not be used to judge the film’s political stance. Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera responded on Instagram, calling the backlash an “inexplicable smear campaign” and affirming the director’s history as a dissident opposed to the invasion. The film is slated to compete at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, running from September 2-12.