In France, Russians hold a festival of 'Russian cinema' featuring films by Ukrainian, Armenian and Georgian directors

Paris/Taverny, France (Svidomi) — In France, Russians have organised a film festival of "Russian cinema", presenting films by filmmakers such as Serhii Parajanov and Larysa Shepitko. 

The Russians have dedicated the festival to the deceased 'opposition leader' Alexei Navalny. It will be held from March 7 to 12 in Paris and from March 12 to 17 in Taverny. 

During the festival, the Russians plan to screen a film by the Armenian-born director of Sacartevelo, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Serhii Parajanov. The film is based on the novel under the same title by Ukrainian writer Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi. The work depicts the life of one of the ethnic groups of Ukrainians, the Hutsuls, who live in the Ukrainian Carpathians. 

The Soviet authorities of alleged homosexuality and Ukrainian nationalism accused Parajanov. Ukraine itself politically rehabilitated Serhii Parajanov. 

In one of the festival's blocks, Russians plan to show a retrospective of films by Ukrainian director Larysa Shepitko. She was born in Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region east of Ukraine. Today, the city is completely destroyed by Russians. Shepitko studied in Lviv, in the west of Ukraine. Larysa Shepitko was a student of another famous Ukrainian director, Oleksandr Dovzhenko. 

During the festival, Russians also plan to show films by Georgian director Otar Iosseliani. He was born in Georgia, Tbilisi. However, due to problems with Soviet censorship, he migrated to France. 

The Russians are using anti-war rhetoric at the festival.