Russian actor Yura Borisov, who has beforehand starred in Russian propaganda movies and illegally visited Russian-occupied Crimea, has obtained an Academy Award nomination for his position within the movie "Anora."

Borisov is nominated within the Greatest Supporting Actor class, the U.S. Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences introduced on Jan. 23.

Borisov is the primary Russian actor to land an Oscar nomination in almost 5 many years. This recognition of a Russian actor who has by no means spoken out in opposition to Russia's aggression comes as Moscow continues to wage a brutal warfare in opposition to Ukraine, which has already killed tens of 1000’s of individuals, together with at the very least 12,300 civilians.

Directed by U.S. filmmaker Sean Baker, "Anora" is a modern-day reimagining of the Cinderella story set in Brighton Seaside's Russian group. It follows a younger intercourse employee from Brooklyn who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch.

The movie has additionally been nominated for Greatest Image, Greatest Director, and Greatest Actress on the 97th Academy Awards. The Oscars ceremony will probably be held on March 2 this yr.

Borisov is an acclaimed Russian actor who has starred in a variety of Russian movies selling state propaganda, reminiscent of "AK-47," which was partially filmed in occupied Crimea.

Russia invaded and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Getting into Crimea from Russian territory is unlawful.

Because the starting of Russia's full-scale invasion eight years later, Borisov hasn't publicly spoken out in opposition to his nation's warfare of aggression.

The choice has as soon as once more sparked a debate over the glorification of Russian tradition and cooperation with Russians whereas Moscow is committing warfare crimes in Ukraine.

Earlier in September, the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition sparked outrage for screening "Russians at Battle," a documentary by a Russian-Canadian filmmaker that whitewashes Russian troopers taking part within the invasion of Ukraine.

At this yr's Oscars, the Ukrainian documentary "Porcelain Battle" is nominated for Greatest Documentary Function.

Directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, the movie tells the story of three Kharkiv artists who joined the Ukrainian army whereas persevering with to create porcelain collectible figurines as an act of cultural resistance throughout Russia's full-scale invasion.

Russia’s looting of history is a theft of who we areI first visited the looted museums of Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, in May 2024. At the time, my team at the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit and I were beginning an investigation into the illegal export of artifacts from Kherson to occupied Crimea by Russian forcesThe Kyiv IndependentYevheniia Motorevska