The resolution of a recent hostage crisis in Ukrainian city of Lutsk might've been facilitated by a "bizarre message" involving a certain film narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, posted online by the Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sky News reports.
On 21 July, a 44-year-old man Maksim Krivosh hijacked a bus in the center of the city, eventually releasing all the passengers after about 12 hours of hostage crisis, and later being detained by the authorities.
According to the media outlet, the Ukrainian head of state conversed with the perpetrator via phone, and then posted a now-deleted message on Facebook, telling people to watch "Earthlings", a 2005 documentary narrated by Phoenix about mankind's use of animals as pets, food or for clothing, entertainment and research.
"We agreed that he would release three people and after that I will record a video," Zelenskiy said, with the media outlet arguing that his post “appeared to help resolve the stand-off".
News of this development elicited a somewhat amused reaction from a number of social media users who went on to joke about the hostage taker's demands.
These are some strange times we live in.
— Thomas Luckock (@TWLuckock) July 22, 2020
I know that many people were traumatized by their experiences with an armed gunman but I still had to chuckle at the demand and the response.
— Dianne (@diannePNW) July 22, 2020
What a Joker.
— Scotty (@Sith_Elvis) July 22, 2020
— Edgard Zanoletti (@Zanito504) July 22, 2020
