The Ukrainian Institute has asked the Cannes Film Festival and French director Michel Hazanavicius to change the name of his new comedy, Z (Comme Z), which will serve as the event’s opening night movie. The organization made the request in an official letter it sent to the festival and filmmaker, as it claims the title invokes the pro-war symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Variety is reporting.
In Russia, the letter “Z” has been used in pro-Russian demonstrations across Europe. But Ukraine’s parliamentary body, the Verkhovna Rada, has banned the symbol throughout the country.
The letter that the Ukrainian Institute sent to Cannes reads: “We consider that changing the title of the opening film of the Cannes Film Festival would be a gesture against the barbarity, violence and terror of the Russian army.” The letter was signed by Volodymyr Sheiko, the organization’s director general.
While Hazanavicius’ zombie comedy is titled Z (Comme Z) in France, its international title is Final Cut. While the movie is currently listed in the Official Selection as Z (Comme Z) at Cannes, the helmer has said the festival will only refer to the title as Final Cut moving forward. The festival declined to comment on the Ukrainian Institute’s letter and request to officially rename the film, which will play out of competition in Cannes.
Natalie Movshovych, the head of film at the Ukrainian Institute, told Variety: “Cannes remains silent on the topic. As far as I know, this reluctance is based on the position that it’s just a coincidence and it should be the director’s decision, and that Final Cut is the international version and Z is a French title.
“But in Russia, local media have been already using [the film’s title to their advantage], publishing articles that could be summed up as: ‘See? They are supporting us, too.’ We are asking [Cannes director] Thierry Frémaux and Michel Hazanavicius to change the title in the name of all the victims from Kyiv region, Mariupol or Kharkiv,” Movshovych added.
Hazanavicius also spoke to Variety about the comedy’s name, saying: “I named my film Z (Comme Z) in France because it’s a zombie comedy and it’s inspired by what we call in France ‘series Z,’ or B movies in America. To know that this title has caused the Ukrainian people some distress makes me feel powerless and so sad, because it’s the last thing I wanted to do.
“I dedicated several years of my life to making a film called The Search about the 1999 war between Chechnya and Russia, which showed the barbaric way in which the Russian army treated the people of Chechnya,” the director continued. “I think I’m the only French filmmaker who made a film about this.”
However, Hazanavicius added it’s too late for the movie’s French title to be changed, as the feature is set to be released in theaters in just two weeks.
“The title is all over the marketing material, and also in the credits,” the filmmaker said. “But we made sure to have the international title, Final Cut, used during the Cannes Film Festival and in all the material that will be on display there. I would have changed it everywhere if I had been able to. My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people who have been suffering enough, and the last thing I want to do is to cause more pain or more discomfort.”
The highly anticipated movie from the helmer of the Oscar-winning silent comedy-drama, The Artist, is a remake of the 2017 Japanese zombie comedy, One Cut of the Dead. The upcoming film stars Romain Duris and Berenice Bejo.
The Ukraine Institute’s letter to Cannes also addressed the festival’s decision to show Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov’s latest movie, Tchaikovsky’s Wife, in the main competition. The biographical drama has been backed by Rusian businessman-politician Roman Abramovich’s $100 million private film fund, Kinoprime.
Serebrennikov, who’s also known for directing Petrov’s Flu and Leto, was sentenced to a three-year suspended prison sentence in June 2020. He was also issued a fine over charges of embezzlement. A Moscow court canceled his suspended sentence last month and the filmmaker was recently allowed to leave Russia.
Serebrennikov’s relationship to Vladislav Surkov, the former deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, has also been called into question. The Ukrainian Institute describes Surkov as “an architect of the Russian propaganda machine, directly responsible for the barbaric invasion that is taking place in Ukraine right now.”
Movshovych and also shared that Ukrainian filmmakers have mixed feelings over the Cannes Film Festival, which is scheduled to run from May 17-28, but most of them are still planning on attending the event. Writer-director Maksym Nakonechnyi’s narrative feature debut, Butterfly Vision, will be shown in Un Certain Regard, and the Cannes Film Market recently unveiled a Ukraine in Focus program.
“My personal belief is that we should be there,” Movshovych said. “Cannes has stated that they won’t welcome anyone linked to the Russian government, but my feeling is that they are concentrating on the form, not the content. All we are asking for is to postpone the premieres of these films until Russia leaves our country and finally takes responsibility for everything they have done and all the war crimes they have committed.”