Zelensky’s Plea To Appear At The Oscars Rejected

According to reports, the Academy has once again rejected Zelensky’s plea to appear at the ceremony. Since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, Zelensky has been welcome at major award shows and events in America to address the people and ask for support during this terrible time. From major film festivals to the Stock Exchange, Zelensky’s plea has not been rejected.

Even award show contemporaries such as the Golden Globes and the Grammy Awards had allowed Zelensky to address the people of America via satellite. This is the second year where Zelenksky’s plea has been denied. Though this year the Academy has not commented on this rejection, in the past year, there have been some possible reasons in the conversation.

Why was Zelensky rejected last year?

The Oscars presenting a moment of silence for the Ukraine War — Source: The Hollywood Reporter

According to sources, Packer had objected because many would perceive that the reason behind Hollywood showering the Ukraine War with attention and solidarity was because the affected, in this situation, are white. To many, this might be another example of Hollywood sidelining the struggles and wars faced by people of colour. Packer, however, has not given an official comment. The Academy, however, did devote several minutes of silence to the victims of war in its ceremony, last year.

Zelensky, in such matters, has been able to hire Mike Simpson to represent him. Simpson is famous for representing heavy hitters like that of Quentin Tarantino and Bong Joon Ho during these award seasons. Aaron Kaufman, one of Simpson’s clients, had made a documentary on Ukraine with Sean Penn, called ‘Superpower’.

American public’s shift in opinion towards the war

America and Ukraine coming together — Source: CNBC

This rejection comes just after the poll that unfurled the true feelings of the American public to the war currently. According to this poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 48% say that they are in favour of the US aiding Ukraine with weaponry and other resources, 29% have opposed this, and 22% have no opinion, they are neither opposed nor in favour. In comparison, in May 2022, 60% of the population of the US were in favour of aiding Ukraine with the resources required.

The Oscars do have a history of being apolitical when it comes to speaking outright about the situation. But the Oscars do make a political statement when it comes to the movies that they nominate. In 2019, six out of the eight nominees for best picture were heavily political in nature. They were either based on real political figures or were saying something that is political and controversial.

Other shows rejecting Zelensky

Not only the Academy, but the Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF, had previously rejected Zelensky’s team when they had come with the request for Zelensky to deliver his message to the festival via satellite. A spokesperson later did announce the official statement of the festival’s response.

According to the statement, the festival did not want to comment on the ongoing political discussions with government officials and dignitaries from around the world. The festival, however, did stand with solidarity with Ukraine and the victims of the ongoing war. The festival was also proudly showcasing the depth and creativity achieved in Ukranian cinema by filmmakers at that year’s festival.