This is a film about war, about any war; but I started working on this film when Russia attacked Ukraine. No one could have imagined that on 24 February 2022 people in Kyiv would hide in the subway from rockets. It seemed crazy, but it became reality. Then cities were destroyed, and many people and children were killed... And people are still dying now...
There is always a war somewhere. It is wearing a crown because war exists to satisfy the tyrant's ego, his need for money, or fame. Nobody wins in a war. War is always madness, death, and horror.
The film is called #nowar, because in Russia you can get a sentence of 10 years in prison for saying "No War". And this is not a dystopia, this is reality. There is no more freedom of expression in Russia. There is repression. And the government dreams of introducing the death penalty.
I used Soviet music from the Second World War in my film. I played the music in reverse. Everyone who has grown up in Russia knows these Soviet military songs. They were a symbol of victory over fascism. But we should listen to these songs backwards these days. Militarism is the only thing that united us; and our collective concepts brought us to a catastrophe.
From darkness to darkness... From war to war, as usual.
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