About Meeting with the Armed Forces, Oscar, Anora and Plans: Michel Khazanavichus in an interview with focus
I am glad to welcome you in the Ukrainian capital! About two years have passed since your previous visit in 2023, and here you have again come to support the Ukrainians with their work. By the way, about creativity. Have you already created your best movie? - I very much hope not (laughs). As you think, if your bright creative biography will be new "Oscar" and "Cannes Lions". - You know, I do not even ask myself such questions. My goal is to just create good movies.
After all, films can have different forms of recognition and success: success with viewers, success with critics, success at festival sites. Sometimes the picture works, sometimes not. But the best way to know it is to try again and again to do what you know the best.
How do you plan to amaze your fans in the next few years? What are your production in production and what are you ready to offer a movie and the world in general? - I just finished working on my book: it came out in France a few months ago. I wrote it on the results of meetings with Ukrainian fighters at the front in November 2023. I am now working on promoting this book, and I intend to transfer all the income from it to the United 24 President Zelensky President.
For a while, I was working on the completion of the animated picture, which I brought to Kiev today. And today I am writing one new scenario, but it is too early to talk about it. Today you have brought to Kiev a difficult movie about World War II. For obvious reasons, the picture is difficult emotionally.
How did you live on this project, what emotions did you feel in the process? - You know, I have been working on this movie for six years, and in these six years there were too many different emotions, and not always the same. At some points it was just a job. However, I remember very well when I just read the book and got acquainted with the story that became the basis for the animated tape. And then I was very impressed and heard very much.
It is at the same time a very beautiful and powerful story that is told very restrained and modest. This is a beautiful story about people - men and women who have the worst and best and most beautiful and most human. It gives the power of this story and makes it noticeable. How well you know, being a ancient friend of Ukraine, in our country now has its difficult story that has taken tens of thousands of lives.
Many films have already been created that comprehensively illuminates the fragments of our history. One of the first and most famous in the world is the documentary "20 days in Mariupol" Mstislav Chernov. This terrible picture brought Ukraine the first Oscar. Did you manage to watch the movie, and if so, what impression did he make on you? - Unfortunately, I didn't see this movie, but I read so much about it that I have a deep idea.
And in general, the people I met and the emotions I feel today related to events in Ukraine are a feeling of impotence and fear of the injustice that is happening today. I think that each of us at our level should move in the opposite direction. And my other emotions are deep respect and sincere gratitude for Ukrainians who are fighting not only for Ukraine today but also for European values, first and foremost for democracy. I think that the future of Europe is decided today here in Ukraine.
Therefore, Europeans should do the maximum to support Ukraine. You are one of the few directors in the Academy Award, who managed to create a movie prize in five nominations. This is undoubtedly an outstanding achievement. This year, as you know, the other movie received five Oscars. Was it possible to evaluate it? - Unfortunately, I could not watch the movie you are talking about. You probably mean an "anora" picture? Therefore, it is difficult for me to say what would not be.
But the people with whom I maintain relationships are all supporting and helping Ukraine. I do not think that among these people there are those who would be on Putin's side. And, unfortunately, I cannot explain which reasons have chosen this movie. And what do you think about the return of Russian actors to world cinema and global festival platforms? What is your opinion in person? - You know, I'm not a politician. I know exactly where I am.