Venice Chief Rejects Ukraine's Protest, Keeps 'DAU' in 2026 Competition

Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera confirmed on Instagram on 19 August 2026 that Ilya Khrzhanovsky's 'DAU' will remain in the Venezia 83 competition for the Golden Lion. Ukraine's Foreign Affairs and Culture ministries and its Rome embassy had formally objected, citing sanctioned Russian funder Sergei Adoniev and actor Teodor Currentzis's Putin-conferred citizenship. Barbera called the criticism an 'inexplicable smear campaign' against a film its accusers had evidently not seen, Variety reports.