Director Michel Hazanavicius changed the name for the Cannes opener after Ukrainian protesters noted that the letter Z has come to symbolize support for Russia's war in Ukraine.
, Hazanavicius wrote that the title was"perhaps funny" when the film was completed several months ago, but not anymore.
"My film is made to bring joy and under no circumstances would I want it to be associated directly or indirectly with this war," he wrote."I am therefore very happy to change its title, and to this extent to mark my most total support for the Ukrainian people.", for which he won the Academy Award for best director.
The announcement comes days after the Ukrainian Institute sent a letter to Hazanavicius and Cannes officials, urging them to rename the opening night film as"a gesture against the barbarity, violence and terror of the Russian army,"Natalie Movshovych, head of film at the Ukrainian Institute, told the publication that local media in Russia had been using the film's title to their advantage, running stories that she described as"See? They are supporting us, too.
He said he never meant to cause Ukrainians harm, noting that he had spent several years making a movie calledabout the 1999 war between Chechnya and Russia that showcased the violence of the Russian military. "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," he added.that they will not welcome official Russian delegations or"accept the presence of anyone linked to the Russian government" unless the war ends in conditions that satisfy the Ukrainian public. They are not boycotting Russian films, however.
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