Venice Chief Alberto Barbera Defends Selection of Russian Director Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s ‘DAU’ After Backlash: It’s ‘Not Pro-Putin Propaganda’

Home Film Festivals Aug 19, 2026 9:22am PT Venice Chief Alberto Barbera Defends Selection of Russian Director Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s ‘DAU’ After Backlash: It’s ‘Not Pro-Putin Propaganda’ By John Bleasdale Plus Icon John Bleasdale Guest Contributor Latest ‘Pacifiction’ Director Albert Serra on His New Film ‘Sixteen Moments of My Life’ and Why He’d Love to Have Directed Elvis Presley 1 week ago Heritage Monday at the Locarno Film Festival Sees a Future in the Past 1 week ago Zoe Saldaña on Seeing ‘Terminator’ Aged 7, Having the Wrong-Shaped Feet and Wanting to Direct: ‘Give Me That Camera!’ 1 week ago See All Venice Film Festival Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera took to social media on Wednesday to fight back against criticism of the inclusion of Russian filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s “DAU” in this year’s edition. Acknowledging the “bloody and cruel war” in Ukraine, Barbera wrote in an Instagram post that “to build a web of accusations based on false premises and the manipulation of reality in order to attack the Biennale and a film invited to compete is a petty and unacceptable act. ‘DAU’ is not a Russian film; it is not pro-Putin propaganda. It is a film that denounces totalitarian regimes and their intrusion into citizens’ lives to restrict their freedom.”  Related Stories Oscars Budget, 'Engaging' With AI and Hot Memorabilia: Inside the Academy's Annual All-Members Meeting (EXCLUSIVE)