Russian propaganda films to screen in Italy, Ukraine responds

The information comes from Ukraine's State Film Agency.

According to the agency, the screenings are planned for January and February 2025 in multiple Italian cities. The films, titled "Maidan, the Road to War" ("Maidan, la strada verso la guerra") and "Children of Donbass" ("I bambini del Donbass"), are Russian-produced propaganda pieces.

The agency states that the first film was produced by the Russian state-owned propaganda channel Russia Today, which has been banned in the EU, raising doubts about its objectivity. The second film, meanwhile, relies on emotionally charged topics to manipulate and distort the reality of events.

"Distribution is carried out by Donbass Italia notorious for spreading other propaganda materials. These films may contain distorted information about the Revolution of Dignity events and the Russian-Ukrainian war. Their screening at Italian cultural venues during a full-scale war in Ukraine may contribute to disinformation and manipulation of public opinion," the State Film Agency emphasized.

The agency also confirmed that it has asked the Embassy of Ukraine in Italy to take steps to block the screenings.

• In September 2025, the Venice Film Festival’s out-of-competition program included the Russian documentary "Russians at War" by Anastasia Trofimova, which aimed to portray Russian soldiers as "ordinary people" rather than "beasts." 
• Despite criticism, TIFF refused to cancel screenings of "Russians at War," arguing that it was a Canadian-French co-production funded by Canadian agencies and therefore not considered Russian propaganda.