Citing the jury grid offered on Screen International magazine at this year’s Cannes Film Festival the Riga IFF has issued a statement objecting to the jury grid published during the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, where Russian film critic Anton Dolin is listed as being affiliated to Meduza, Latvia.

In a press release Riga IFF said “We respect Anton Dolin, and perceive Meduza as one of the most important independent information sources in Russian (and mostly about Russia). However, in this case our country’s name is being used as a cover to protect Screen International from being affiliated with Russia, which we find hypocritical.”

“​​​​In our eyes, this is an example of a cultural colonialist mindset: Latvia is being represented by a Russian film critic and a news outlet whose motto reads “The real Russia, today”. Latvia, like other countries that have endured Soviet occupation during which the local population was heavily decimated, forcibly deported to Siberia, and subjected to russification, does not use its traumatic Soviet past as a self-defining descriptor. As the Russian Federation proudly declares itself the ideological heir of the Soviet Union, such affiliations feel tone-deaf and we strongly condemn them.”

For the full press release click HERE.