Actors, musicians, filmmakers, writers and cultural companies have raised their voices around the world against Russian invasion of Ukraine: from the boycott of film distributors to the donation of a million dollars from Ryan Reynolds or the humanitarian aid of the chef José Andrés.
Canceled releases
Disney, Sony and Warner Bros canceled their releases in Russia: Disney the Turning Red in some countries), Warner Bros. batman and Sony has announced that it is suspending the release of Morbiusscheduled for March 24.
The three distributors have canceled their closest releases and have announced that they will assess what to do with future releases depending on how the crisis evolves. The companies have positioned themselves on the side of the human tragedy of the population and, in the case of Disney, have announced collaborations with NGOs to help the displaced.
Disney announced that it will not release its films in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine
Netflix flouts new Russian law
Netflix announced on Monday, February 28, that it will not comply with Russia’s new audiovisual law, which comes into force on Tuesday, March 1, and which forces the platform to include content from twenty public channels in order to operate in the country. The legislation mandates the broadcast of content from media outlets close to the Kremlin such as Channel One, the NTV entertainment network and the Orthodox Church channel.
Writers against the invasion
Hundreds of writers condemn the invasion. The world Pen association has published a letter signed by numerous authors, including Nobel laureates such as Orhan Pamuk or Svetlana Alexievich and writers like Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster or Salman Rushdie. In it they show their revulsion against the Russian invasion: “We are dismayed by the violence unleashed by Russian forces against Ukraine and we urgently call for an end to the bloodshed.”
Why Vladimir Putin will not back down on Ukraine
Russia out of Eurovision
Eurovision prohibits Russia from participating in the contest this year. The festival retracted only a few hours after saying the opposite, alluding to its “non-political” character: the cancellation of Russia’s participation has been taken “in light of an unprecedented crisis in Ukraine”.
Milan, Paris and Munich do without director Valeri Guérguiev
The Scala opera house in Milan, the philharmonics of Paris, Munich and Rotterdam, in addition to the Bavarian State Opera (Germany) have decided to do without the Russian director Valeri Guérguiev, a personal friend of President Vladimir Putin and who has not wanted to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, as these institutions had requested.
Ukrainian couple decided to advance their wedding and join volunteers to defend their country
Anna Netrebko walks away from the stage
Russian singer Anna Netrebko, one of the best-known voices in opera today, has canceled all her performances due to the controversy generated by her lukewarm stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and because, according to the singer of 50 years of age a statement: “it is not the right time to act now and to make music”.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donate a million dollars for refugees
The couple formed by the actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have allied themselves with UNHCR and have asked their followers to donate money for Ukrainian refugees. They have committed to contributing one million dollars when donations reach that same amount. “In 48 hours, many Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes to neighboring countries. They need protection,” said the actor.
Chef José Andrés and his NGO help at the Polish border
Spanish chef José Andrés has traveled to the border between Poland and Ukraine to help refugees fleeing the country with his NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) and has asked the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, for permission to enter the country to help .
Musicians like Cher, Elton John, Madonna… condemn the invasion
Cher, Madonna and Elton John have condemned the invasion of Ukraine and Putin’s attitude. “Putin will devour sovereign countries, until he resurrects the USSR,” Cher has said; Elton John voiced his opposition to the bombings at a concert in New York: “Absolutely appalling. There is no justification for this.” And Madonna has compared the Russian leader to Hitler.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have also canceled their scheduled performances in Russia and Ukraine this summer, as have other artists such as Iggy Pop, Franz Ferdinand, Louis Tomlinson -of One Direction- or the American group Green Day.
Actors showing their solidarity
Actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Ruffalo, Ashton Kutcher, Milla Jovovich or Javier Bardem, who demonstrated in front of the Russian embassy in Madrid, have shown their solidarity with the Russian people and their rejection of the invasion through social networks.
Sean Penn’s documentary on the ground
Sean Penn is shooting a documentary about the invasion of Ukraine. The actor and director is on the ground to shoot a film about what is happening, the Ukrainian presidential office announced.
Luchiana Hakman, a Ukrainian singer who lived in Ecuador, asks you to pray for her country
Boycott Russian films
The Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa has left the European Film Academy due to the lukewarm condemnation of the invasion of his country in a “shameful text” that the institution published. “You are afraid of calling war a war, of condemning barbarism,” he said. The Ukrainian creator is currently the leading filmmaker on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, on which several of his documentaries revolve, including “Maidan” and “Donbass”.
Loznitsa’s decision came before the European Film Academy itself announced today that it is joining the boycott of Russian films, as requested by the Ukrainian Film Academy through “Change.org” and will exclude them from the European Film Awards this year.
The Cannes Film Festival has also joined the veto launched against Russia and has decided this year to exclude official Russian delegations or any body linked to the Russian Government. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
