20 months after Russia decided to invade Ukraine, the European Union (EU) is returning the European Film Festival to Moscow this November, DPA reports.

The festival, which was canceled in 2022 due to conflict, will feature 21 films from EU member states including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg, and will be held online from November 1 to 15. mostly free of charge, according to the EU representation in Russia, notes Agerpres.

Even in the difficult context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU wants to demonstrate that relations between Europeans and Russians can continue, EU Ambassador to Russia Roland Galkharag said in Moscow.

Galharagh said that although the EU has stopped cooperating with the Russian government because of the war, this should not affect the Russians.

“Cinema brings people together,” said the diplomat in a Moscow movie theater in front of carefully selected guests.

“Russian culture and art are a source of enrichment of cinema in Europe,” the EU ambassador added.

Two co-productions with Russian participation will also be shown during the festival.

Many Russian artists have left their homeland because they can no longer work freely in a country where Western culture is sometimes officially demonized. In particular, cinematographers have repeatedly complained about censorship by the Ministry of Culture of Russia, which, for example, refuses to issue licenses for movie rentals in cinemas.

At the presentation of the EU festival in Moscow, slogans about freedom and human rights could be seen on the screen. Some guests at the screening, which was not publicly announced, spoke of an atmosphere of intimidation and fear in all areas of Russian society.

Films, including documentaries, will be broadcast in their original language with subtitles on the Coolplay online cinema platform.

Access without prior registration is available only to people in Russia or those outside the country who have access to a virtual private network (VPN), a diplomat from the EU mission in Moscow told DPA.

Some of the films have already been presented at European and international film festivals and received favorable reviews from both critics and the public, he noted.