Fifteen years ago, Liev Schreiber produced an adaptation of the best-selling novel Tout est illuminé in the Czech Republic. He was drawn to the subject in part because of his maternal grandfather, who was of Ukrainian Jewish descent.
Since the Russian invasion, Mr. Schreiber has worked to support the country with the organization BlueCheck Ukraine. He also provided food for refugees in Poland and even entered Ukraine.
He addressed various aspects of the situation in Ukraine at a special press conference in Karlovy Vary.
“When the invasion started, I started thinking again about what it meant to be Ukrainian. And to be honest, I have absolutely no idea.
“Especially when I see men of all ages who are graphic designers, masons or artists, hugging their children and saying goodbye to their wives, picking up arms and preparing to fight in a war in which they are vastly overwhelmed. in numbers and weapons – and without knowing if they will ever see their families again. »
Schreiber, perhaps best known for his portrayal of TV series lead character Ray Donovan, said he hopes even film festivals can help keep people from losing interest in the conflict, more than four months on now. the Russian invasion.
“When I spoke to President Zelensky, I asked him: ‘What would you say to people who are considering supporting Ukraine but have not yet taken the decisive step?’ The first thing he said to me was, ‘You are much braver than you think.
“And we know that, from what we’ve been through as a nation, each of us – as Americans, as Czechs, as Italians – we are brave, each of us we. The other thing is, we better deal with this now before it knocks on our doors. »
Festivals like Karlovy Vary are now faced with the question of whether to invite Russian films and directors. For his part, Schreiber said he was uncomfortable with the idea of cultural boycotts.
“Everyone always asks me why I think Ukraine will win, because I believe they will come out on the right side of history after all. And I believe it’s because they have the truth on their side. I think what’s at stake right now is the truth. Misinformation has become a dangerous new idea. This is something Putin is counting on: chaos and misinformation. So we have to be careful with the media, and we have to be careful with what we consume.
“But the idea of censoring or boycotting artists is something difficult for me, and I feel challenged by this idea. One of the things I love about the arts is the idea that if it’s true, it’s worth knowing. So I think we have to be very careful about media coming out of Russia, since it’s so controlled by the state, or movies or art, for that matter. There’s a lot of propaganda coming out of Russia right now. »
We would love to say thanks to the author of this post for this amazing web content
Karlovy Vary Festival: Liev Schreiber puts the spotlight on Ukraine