Keswick Film Festival has decided to remove a Russian film from its programme and replace it with a Ukrainian movie.
The festival was due to screen Petrov’s Flu but organisers have decided to replace it with the Ukrainian film Olga.
The festival is joining up with cinemas across the country under the banner of UK Cinemas in support of Ukraine for a charity screening of Olga, raising funds to support the work of the Red Cross and Unicef.
Set in 2013, the film is the story of the eponymous Olga, a talented and passionate 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast, trying to make her place at the National Sports Centre in Switzerland.
But the revolt of Euromaïdan breaks out in Kyiv, suddenly involving her relatives. While the young girl has to adapt to her new country and prepare for the European Championships, the Ukrainian revolution enters her life and shakes everything up.
The film shows the anguish of expatriates as fighting breaks out back at home.
Festival director Ian Payne said: “Under the circumstances it would have been wholly inappropriate to screen a Russian film at the festival, even though the director had had his own problems with the Russian authorities.
“Olga won the audience award at the Brussels Film Festival, was a winner in the Cannes Critics Week and was voted best feature film at Hamburg – politics aside, Olga will be worthy addition to the film festival programme.”
