Venice Festival Chief Defends 'DAU' Selection Against Ukrainian Government Protest
The Venice Film Festival's artistic director, Alberto Barbera, publicly defended his decision to include Ilya Khrzhanovsky's "DAU" in the 2026 competition lineup, pushing back against a formal protest from the Ukrainian government.
Barbera took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, to respond to a joint statement issued two days earlier by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ukrainian Embassy in Italy. The Ukrainian government's objection centred on the film's funding and personnel: it noted that "DAU" was backed by Russian businessman Sergei Adoniev, who was sanctioned by Ukraine in 2022 and by the United States in 2023, and that actor Teodor Currentzis's Russian citizenship was conferred by Vladimir Putin, with his musical career funded by Russian banks Variety.
Barbera's response was direct. He acknowledged what he called the "bloody and cruel war" in Ukraine, but rejected the premise that the film served Russian state interests. "DAU," he wrote, "is not a Russian film and is not pro-Putin propaganda," but rather a work that denounces totalitarian regimes and their intrusion into citizens' lives. He described Khrzhanovsky as a Russian dissident on the regime's blacklist who had taken a stand against the invasion of Ukraine, and called the criticism an "inexplicable smear campaign" against a film its accusers had evidently not seen Variety.
The film at the centre of the dispute has a long and complicated history. The "DAU" project was initially conceived as a biopic of the Soviet physicist Lev Landau, a Nobel laureate, but expanded into a sprawling immersive enterprise. Principal filming ran for three years, from 2008 to 2011, on a closed set in Kharkiv, Ukraine, involving roughly 400 non-actors. Early development was partly funded by the Ukrainian State Film Agency in 2012 Variety.
Khrzhanovsky and cast members, including lead actress Natalia Berezhnaya, have previously denied allegations of unprofessional and unsafe conditions during filming, including the treatment of actresses and the use of unsimulated violence Variety.
The Venice competition entry is the third instalment in a projected 14-film sequence. Two earlier "DAU" films preceded it: "DAU. Degeneration" in 2019 and "DAU. Natasha," which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2022 Variety. The Venice selection, listed in the Venezia 83 competition, runs 195 minutes with a 15-minute intermission La Biennale.
The Golden Lion, awarded each September on the Lido, is among the most closely watched prizes on the festival circuit. A competition slot guarantees global press coverage and distributor attention; the political controversy around "DAU" ensures that coverage will extend well beyond the film pages.
Barbera's Instagram post — from the account that identifies him as Director of the Venice International Film Festival and Board member of La Biennale di Venezia — confirms his position: the film stays in competition.
