Russia invaded Ukraine under the orders of Vladimir Putin. An inescapable fact. It has been put on the global radar, especially since the details of that conflict can trigger alarming repercussions, including the start of a Third World War.
However, as in any war matter, there are culprits and victims. Just because a President dictates something does not mean that all his people agree and that all people deserve the same type of punishment.
Many services have been cut off from Russia, such as the use of phone applications to make payments, such as Apple Pay, or car manufacturers closing their exports, such as BMW and Ford, among many other restrictions for the Russian government.
As far as entertainment sanctions are concerned, there are movie windows. The Batman, the big premiere of the month (March 4), where Robert Pattinson will be seen as the classic antihero, has just been banned for screening in that country; as well as several premieres within the Disney calendar—among which was the new Pixar proposal, Turning Red—and the other strong card from Sony, Morbiusstarring Jared Leto.
All these measures are intended to punish Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, as a form of pressure for a ceasefire. However, many of the people in that country are against the conflict, and are victims of brutal cuts in their way of life, as well as their access doors to art.
These commercial propositions may or may not be considered to have consumer value, but a country without access to art is a country without doors to imagination, creativity and spirit.
Art is a powerful tool for change, protest, or simply an escape from grim reality. If you want to see examples of the chaos that can be unleashed as a result of this, we can read cases like 1984 by George Orwell the Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury’s science fiction novels show how the lack of cultural options not only leads to educational misery, but also excessive emotional distress. We are deprived of our individuality as people and are reduced to machines, in the service of the puppeteers who control our actions.
To get closer to the historical plane, Hitler knew the power of the propaganda media to manipulate the masses, and that is why he prohibited the display of any form of expression contradictory to the Nazi philosophy.
Sanctions against Russian citizens may not yet have reached the point of complete cultural curbing, but depriving people of any kind of release can have dire consequences for their emotional health.
Many people are being punished for the actions of their President. If the injustices continue, there will only be more poverty in every sense for those who do not owe it or fear it in this war.
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