Anti-Ukrainian Documentary Shown on Polish TV Channel
On February 21st, Polish TV Channel TVN24 broadcasted the controversial documentary film The Masks of the Revolution during the program Eva Evart Advises. The director of the film is French journalist Paul Moreira. This documentary film depicts the events in the Kiev Euromaidan movement as a riot started by radical nationalists. The film is full of allusions to the leading role of the US in the events in Kiev two years ago. It hints at the fact that the Russian annexation of Crimea was reasonable and legitimate.
Before the screening of the film, the presenter of the program, Eva Evart, mentioned the second anniversary of the events on Maidan and noted that the film is controversial. A journalist with the Polish magazine Newsweek, Michal Kacewicz, who has been covering the events in Ukraine for many years, commented on the screening of the film for the Ukrainian broadcast on Polish Radio.
"For me, the screening of the film, The Masks of the Revolution, without an appropriate disclaimer as to what type of film it is is scandalous. This French film is a lie. It uses classical manipulation techniques in covering Ukrainian events which correspond with the Russian narrative. This film shows untruthful images depicting the dominant role of radicals during the Revolution of Dignity. The author relies on the comments of marginal characters in order to justify the fascist coup theory. In a word, he protects the Russian version about the fascist threat in Kiev," Michal Kacewicz said.
The Polish journalist stressed that this presentation of Ukrainian events in Poland is especially formidable. "The majority of Poles don’t know the details of these events and taking into consideration our vulnerability on the issue of Ukrainian nationalism, the film can strengthen our feeling of fear that allegedly comes from a new Ukraine," Kacewicz explained.
The premiere of the movie, The Masks of the Revolution, took place in early February on the French TV Channel Canal+. The Ukrainian community and the Ukrainian Embassy in Paris protested against the screening of this film.
It was mentioned in the communiqué of the Ukrainian Embassy that The Masks of the Revolution is a documentary film shot in the format of conspiracy theories and Russian propaganda. This movie misinforms Europeans about events in Ukraine that took place in the winter of 2013-2014 and is sign of disrespect for the people who gave their lives for a democratic future for their country.