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A NOTE ON THE SELECTED RUSSIAN FILMS
Given the war in Ukraine, we understand that there are likely to be vexed feelings about the inclusion of films from Russia in this year’s Chichester International Film Festival.
This is a very sensitive issue and has taxed all five judges who helped me select entries in the Independent category. Although the overall responsibility for programming is entirely mine, five out of the six judges came to the view that an embargo on ALL Russian films would seem to equate to an anti-Russian stance – i.e. being against the Russian people en masse and thereby preventing young Russian film-makers from having a voice, some with their first film. Five of the selected films covertly imply or overtly offer a critique of the current regime. In no way do they support the state under Putin. The sixth is a retelling of Solzhenitsyn’s great novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
It is worth drawing attention to the fact that we are presenting no fewer than ten films in our Homage to Ukrainian Cinema
Please note that all six of the selected films from Russia were completed, or nearing completion, before the war began (see below).
You will decide for yourselves what films to see on ethical grounds and that choice will of course be respected.
Roger Gibson - Artistic Director
10 August 2022
IN LIMBO - completed September 2021
FIRST SNOW - completed April 2021
WHITE WHALE - completed June 2021
LIKE A MAN - completed February 2022
100 MINUTES - world première, Locarno Film Festival, August 2021
THE RIOT - completed April 2022