The Ukraine Institute, which represents the culture of this country in the world, has sent an official letter to the Cannes Film Festival and to the French director Michel Hazanavicius, asking to rename the opening film 'Z (Comme Z)'.
Reason for the dispute: The Z could be seen as a provocation being a symbol of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This is what the Variety website reports.
We read in the letter signed by the general director Volodymyr Sheiko, who then also attacks the director Serebrennikov: "We believe that changing the title of the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival would be a gesture against the barbarism, violence and terror of the Russian army" .
Now Hazanavicius' zombie comedy is called Z (Comme Z) in France, but the international title is FINAL CUT.
In Cannes, however, the film is recorded as Z (Comme Z), although the French director says the festival will refer to the original title.
Natalie Movshovych, director of cinema at the Ukrainian Institute, then pointed out that in Russia "the local media have already used the title of the film, publishing articles that could be summarized as: 'See? They are supporting us.'
We ask the artistic director Thierry Frémaux and Michel Hazanavicius to change the title in the name of all the victims of the region of Kiev, Mariupol and Kharkiv ".
Replies Hazanavicius: "I called my movie Z (Comme Z) in my country because it is a zombie comedy and is inspired by what we call in France 'Z series' or B series films in America.