“The Witness,” a Russian propaganda film about the Ukraine conflict, is making the rounds in Italy despite widespread condemnation from the public and officials.
advertisementa Kremlin propaganda A movie about the war in Ukraine that was a box office flop in Russia last year will be shown in Italy by the end of this month, despite causing a huge backlash.
“witness”, Russia’s first feature-length film about the invasion of Ukraine, tells the fictional story of Belgian violinist Daniel Cohen, who becomes involved in the conflict after traveling to Kiev and witnessing horrific crimes committed by Ukrainian nationalists in the village of Semidveli. I’m drawing. He then decides to make it his mission to tell the world the “truth” about what is happening in Ukraine.
The film is essentially a collection of Kremlin lies used to justify the illegal invasion of Ukraine packaged into a two-hour war movie. President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have long cited the need to “de-Nazify” Ukraine as one of the main reasons for invading neighboring Russia.
When the film was released in the US in August 2023, Russians did not rush to the theaters to see it, and in general the film grossed 14 million rubles (142,000 euros) at the box office. It was considered a failure. In the first two weeks, the Guardian reported.
But if the Russian propaganda film seemed unable to captivate domestic audiences, “The Witness” has become even more popular in Italy, at least among those who have never really turned their backs on Putin. We hope that it will attract the attention of
Controversial screening in Bologna
The film will be shown in the traditionally liberal, left-wing city of Bologna on the evening of January 27, the same day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. “The Witness” will be screened at a cultural center called Villa Paradiso at an event attended by Vincenzo LoRusso of the pro-Russian group Donbas Italia and pro-Kremlin journalist Andrea Lucidi.
of facebook post Announcing the screening on the cultural center’s social media pages prompted a flood of negative comments from users who accused the venue of hosting a hateful, pro-Russian propaganda event. When asked for clarification, users said the center hosts several “diverse initiatives.”
Users accused the center of deleting some of the most scathing comments, including one that referenced a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Some accused the center of using ideas of democracy and freedom of speech to justify “the spread of terrorism and pro-Russian fascist propaganda.”
The Witness will be shown on January 27 as scheduled, although city officials have called the screening of films in publicly funded buildings “unacceptable” and urged organizers to cancel the event. It is scheduled to be done.
The Villa Paradiso Cultural Center said the order to cancel the event violated people’s “right to free information” about the conflict in Ukraine. In response to requests from city officials, Villa Paradiso insisted that screening the film did not violate any laws.
If the event is canceled, the far-right National Movement Patriot Network has offered to host a screening of “The Witness.”
Euronews has contacted Bologna and Villa Paradiso officials for comment.
“The Witness” Italy Tour
The planned screening in Bologna is not the first time “The Witness” has been screened in Italy, after being shown in cities across the country in the past few months, including Rome, Florence, Reggio Emilia and Cesena.
Prior to the screening of this film in Rome, video message It was recorded by the actor who plays the main character Karen Badalov. In the video, Badarov spoke to the Italian public about his love for Italy and Italian cinema, and said he hoped viewers would empathize with his character.
He complains about the film’s trailer being blocked on YouTube, says free speech is “a thing of the past” and that the Roman public is an exception to censorship over “The Witness” praised.
Russian propaganda expands further in Italy
Another pro-Russian propaganda event, a conference on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, is scheduled to be held in the city of Modena on January 20, despite calls for its cancellation. The presentation of the event described Mariupol as “a city that symbolizes the Donbass revolt against Kiev” and is currently being rebuilt by Russia.
Among the speakers scheduled for the conference are Luca Rossi, president of the Italian-Russian Association, Russian Consul Dmitry Stodin, and journalist Andrea Lucidi, who will also be present at the screening of Witness in Bologna. Includes Mr.
Modena’s center-left mayor, Giancarlo Muzzarelli, distanced himself from the event, saying in a statement that the city does not in any way support “efforts to provide a pro-Russian interpretation of the war in Ukraine.” .
advertisementMore events will be held in the future.