Volodymyr Zelensky makes an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival

Cannes opens with a Zelensky call to world cinema 1:07

(CNN)--

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on video during the opening of the Cannes Film Festival in France, giving a speech about the importance of cinema in the midst of war.

"The most brutal dictators of the 20th century loved the movies," Zelensky said, adding that most films made about those dictators were "horrible documentaries and newsreels."

"On February 24, Russia started a massive war against Ukraine with the intention of pushing deeper into Europe...Hundreds of people are dying every day. They are not going to get up after the end," he continued.

"Will the cinema stay silent or will it talk about it? If there is a dictator, if there is a war for freedom, again, everything depends on our unity. Can the cinema keep out of this unity? We need a new [Charlie ] Chaplin that demonstrates that, in our time, the cinema will not be silent".

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is here by live video, and greeted by a long ovation.

He is talking about Chaplin in The Great Dictator, quoting Apocalypse Now and drawing parallels between fictional war and dictators and the one Ukraine faces.

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Zelensky was referring to Chaplin's film "The Great Dictator" during the live call from Kyiv.

And he continued: "It is necessary that the cinema does not remain silent... I tell all those who listen to me: Do not lose hope. The hatred will end up disappearing and the dictators will die. We have to achieve this victory and we need the cinema to see to it that that end is always on the side of freedom. I am sure the dictator will lose. We will win this war. Glory to Ukraine."

Before entering the world of politics, Zelensky was an actor and comedian.

Cannes Film Festival Volodymyr Zelensky