Khrzhanovsky's 'DAU' finally arrives at Venice Film Festival after Ukraine row

A film shot when war between Russia and Ukraine seemed unthinkable finally hit Venice on Wednesday, with director Ilya Khrzhanovsky unveiling "DAU", a 20-year project that has generated both fascination and controversy.

Ukraine's government has objected to the decision to screen the Russian-language movie at the Venice Film Festival, saying it should not be showcased at one of cinema's most prestigious events while Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.

Khrzhanovsky, who renounced his Russian citizenship in 2024, said his opposition to the invasion had been clear from the outset, adding that he hoped Kyiv would prevail.

"I started to film this movie at a time when it was absolutely impossible to imagine any kind of war between Russia and Ukraine," he told a news conference.

Running at 165 minutes, DAU draws on a vast cast of actors, scientists, artists and intellectuals to chronicle the life of Soviet physicist Lev Landau, the Nobel Prize winner known as "Dau", whose life spanned scientific feats, imprisonment, work on the Soviet atomic programme and wild promiscuity.

VAST SET IN UKRAINIAN CITY

Originally conceived as a straightforward biopic of a troubled genius, who died in 1968, the project evolved into a sprawling artistic experiment that produced multiple films, books and exhibitions.

To create it, Khrzhanovsky oversaw the construction in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv of a vast set inspired by the Soviet research institute where Landau worked, generating hundreds of hours of footage between 2008 and 2011.

The director said he then left the material largely untouched for more than a decade.

"I started this movie 20 years ago," he said. After that "I invited another character into my main cast, the most important character, time," he added.

Khrzhanovsky said the years between shooting and editing fundamentally altered his understanding of the material.

"Time changed also my own perception of... how I can talk about this and how I can edit," he said, comparing editing to the way memory continually reshapes people's understanding of events and experiences.

TOUGH LIFE IN THE SOVIET UNION

Unlike the more experimental films that emerged from the DAU ecosystem and screened in Berlin in 2020, the Venice competition entry is a historical epic tracing Landau's life against the backdrop of an often cruel and brutal Soviet Union.

The title role is played by the well-known Greek-born conductor Teodor Currentzis, who did not come to Venice.

Currentzis has drawn attention since the Ukraine invasion because he has not publicly criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin and has maintained professional ties to Russia. Asked about this, Khrzhanovsky declined to condemn his silence.

"It's his choice, not making the choice, and my choice to make it," he said.

The project's scale and unconventional methods have often overshadowed the finished work itself. For Khrzhanovsky, the film's long gestation was part of its purpose.

Comparing "DAU" to a building designed to last rather than a structure intended for temporary use, he said he hoped to create something that would endure in time.

"Art cannot change the world," he said. "But maybe it can sometimes give some feelings and emotions and more energy for some people to survive spiritually, emotionally in good days and in the dark days."

"DAU" is one of 21 films competing for Venice's Golden Lion award, which will be presented on Saturday.

-Reporting by Crispian BalmerEditing by Gareth Jones/Reuters