Craig Mazin, the creator and screenwriter of the HBO hit series Chernobyl, has said that Ukraine should be more active in producing and supporting movies about its history, Ukrinform has reported.

Speaking at the 16th Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference on September 13, Mr Mazin said that “an important element of happiness is the ability to be self-critical and to acknowledge various mistakes.”

“The truth is that stories like the Chernobyl disaster should be told not by Americans like me. I think it would be very good to start thinking about your art, about your culture as a way of expression. To look at your past as purely and clearly as possible is normal and good,” he continued.

According to Mr Mazin, an important feature of a healthy and strong nation is “its ability to look at itself and to be happy even when nobody wants you to be happy.”

Explaining Russia’s criticism over the TV documentary series, he said that the country was unable to critically assess its past.