On The Subject Of Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

Since February 24th, the Actors Agents Association of New Zealand, the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Pan-Asian Screen Collective and the Screen Music and Sound Guild of New Zealand have watched with intense dismay the events unfolding in Ukraine. We add our voice to calls for this unprovoked war, perpetuated by Russian Federation forces on the citizens of a neighbouring sovereign nation, to be brought to an immediate end.

We stand in solidarity with the artists and filmmakers of Ukraine - including former Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand member, documentary director Valeriya Golovina. Until recently, Ms Golovina studied and worked in Wellington. She is now back in her homeland, in the occupied territory of South-East Ukraine.

We guilds and associations support a ban on engagement with artists, businesses and cultural agencies loyal to the Russian Federation.

We also recognise the extraordinary bravery of those who have voiced opposition from within Russia.

We applaud particularly the immense courage displayed by Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova who, during a live broadcast, placed herself in front of TV cameras with an anti-war, anti-propaganda message.

The thoughts of our boards and members are with victims of this injustice, and with those practitioners who - while operating under the thumb of corrupt regimes - courageously exercise their voices within media and the arts to protest war and to advocate for peace.

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