20/03/2003 - The Finnish filmmaker declined the Academy’s invite to Sunday’s awards ceremony saying: "The US government is committing a crime against humanity"

Coming as it does two days after the start of the US Coalition’s war against Iraq, the 75th edition of the Oscars promises to be a sombre affair with no red carpet and few parties. Today also brought the news of the first important defections. In a letter for Academy president, Frank Pierson Aki Kaurismaki declined the invitation to the ceremony where his latest film, The Man without a Past [+see also:
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"I cannot go to the Oscars while the American government is preparing to perpetrate a crime against humanity for purely economic reasons, " said the famously outspoken director.

American actor Will Smith agrees. In a statement by his spokesperson, the star of Ali and Men in Black said he would not feel comfortable taking part in the ceremony. A growing contingent of Hollywood stars, including Dustin Hoffman, Jim Carrey, Julianne Moore (nominated for two Oscars), Ben Affleck (winner of a best screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting ) and Salma Hayek (nominated for a best actress Oscar for her Frida, a film she also produced) announced they would all be wearing pins with the following logo: "Artists United to Win Without War". Furthermore, Barbara Walters’ traditional post-Oscar special on ABC has also been cancelled.