British director Gilliam says ‘thank you Russia’ at Odesa Film Festival in Ukraine

Kiev, Aug 22 (UNI/Sputnik) British film director Terry Gilliam has mistakenly confused Ukraine with Russia while receiving the award for his contribution to world cinema at the closing ceremony of the Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF) in Ukraine.

“Thank you, Russia! Thank you, Odesa,” Gilliam said on stage.

He was immediately interrupted by the OIFF host Yanina Sokolova, reminding him that Odesa was in Ukraine.

“Sorry, you should know Russia is not Ukraine … This is Ukraine,” the host stressed, chanting “Glory to Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian media later reported that the audience began booing the director, after which he immediately apologized.

As Gilliam walked away from the microphone, he was stopped by Sokolova and once again reminded that Ukraine was not Russia, to which he responded that the creator of the 1925 Battleship Potemkin silent film, Sergei Eisenstein, was a Soviet director.

Subsequently, a separate video appeared on the festival’s Facebook page, in which the filmmaker thanked Ukraine for the opportunity to attend the festival.

Gilliam is famous for directing Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the Fisher King and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote among others.