Russian director Ilya Khrzhanovsky has declined to condemn his lead actor over the latter’s refusal to denounce Russia’s war in Ukraine, emphasizing personal responsibility for individual choices. Khrzhanovsky made the remarks during a press conference at the Venice film festival, where his film DAU premiered on Wednesday.
The film, a sprawling and unconventional project, stars Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis as Nobel laureate and quantum physicist Lev Landau, the title character. Currentzis, who continues to live and work in Russia, has not publicly criticized President Vladimir Putin’s military actions in Ukraine, a stance that drew criticism from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to the festival.
When asked about Currentzis’s position, Khrzhanovsky said, “It’s his choice,” adding that “everyone is paying for his own choice, his own life, his own destiny.” Khrzhanovsky noted how his film depicts Landau grappling with ethical dilemmas, including pressure to contribute to nuclear weapons development, suggesting a thematic link to the idea of personal responsibility.
Currentzis did not attend the Venice premiere due to an unspecified “last-minute emergency,” but the director said he remains in contact with the conductor, whom he described as “one of the greatest conductors of our time.”
Khrzhanovsky, who renounced his Russian citizenship following the invasion of Ukraine and now resides in Germany, expressed his hopes for peace and success for Ukraine. “The only thing I can wish for is peace and success for the Ukrainian government to succeed in the best possible way, to save the country and to win this war,” he said.
DAU is a highly controversial film that has drawn attention long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Initially conceived in 2006 as a conventional biopic, the project evolved into an extensive experimental endeavor, shot between 2008 and 2011 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The production involved approximately 400 principal actors and around 10,000 extras and has been described by some critics as resembling a “Stalinist Truman Show.”
The project has faced allegations of misconduct over the years, including reports that actors portraying “KGB officers”—some played by former real-life KGB agents—were empowered to control and discipline other cast members on set. Journalist Michael Idov, who observed the filming closely, characterized Khrzhanovsky as “unhinged” in a 2011 profile.
Khrzhanovsky revealed that the 700 hours of footage filmed in Kharkiv remained untouched until 2023, as he focused on related DAU art projects. Prior offshoots of the project, including DAU. Natasha and DAU. Degeneratsiya, were shown at the Berlin film festival in 2020. The version presented in Venice is described by the director as the “mother film” of the series.