The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accuses through the voice of its spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, that Romania is trying to “cancel” Russian culture after the broadcast in Bucharest of two Russian films considered propaganda was canceled, reports TASS.
“The National Film Archive (ANF) of Romania, for political reasons, broke the rental agreements for cinemas concluded with our embassy in Bucharest, which, as part of an education campaign, made available the private broadcasting of Russian films ‘Vremea to the first’ and ‘Challenge’”, Zakharova stated.
“The decision was promoted by the biased media led by the local editorial office of the so-called ‘Free Europe’ and the Romanian Ministry of Culture,” she also accused.
According to TASS, Zakharova pointed out that this is a “typical manifestation” of the so-called cancellation of Russian culture, which “fits into the general campaign of the actions of the West, which aims to impose broad censorship in the fight against dissent.”
Romanian Minister of Culture, Raluca Turcan announced on April 10 that the films ‘The Challenge’ (2023) and ‘Time of the First’ (2017), considered to be Russian propaganda, will no longer be screened at Cinema Eforie and Cinema Union.
The minister’s announcement came after the National Film Archive (ANF) had previously told Europa Liberă Romania that “our role is to grant equal treatment and equal opportunity”.
The director of the ANF, Roxana Garet, said that the institution she leads only made the hall available. “We made it available from the position of neutrality, we do not engage in political discourses, our role is to grant equal treatment and equal opportunities, as well, from this perspective of equal access to culture, without discriminating against anyone in report of current or future political contexts“, explained Garet for Free Europe.
Raluca Turcan, however, declared that it is “unacceptable” that these two films, considered by experts to be propaganda, are shown in public cinemas under the Ministry of Culture.
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