**Ukraine Asks Film Festival to Remove Russian Movie**
The Ukrainian government has asked the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia to remove a Russian movie from its program. The film, “Deaf Lovers,” is about a romance between two hearing impaired people – a Ukrainian woman and a Russian man.
Critics say the movie portrays a love story that doesn’t reflect reality. Many Ukrainian women have been victims of torture, rape, or other forms of violence during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The film festival has a section dedicated to Ukrainian films, called “Standing with Ukraine.” The Ukrainian government said including this Russian movie could be seen as promoting the aggressor’s actions.
After being asked to remove the movie, it appears to have been taken off the “Standing with Ukraine” program. However, it is still listed in the festival’s main programming under a different category.
This comes after another controversy surrounding a film called “Russians at War,” which was criticized for trying to justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government even opened an investigation into the movie’s director.