Once again, Thessaloniki International Film Festival shows its support to the Ukrainian cinema by including five films from/about Ukraine in the programme of its 63rd edition.
Most of the films have scheduled online screenings.
KLONDIKE by Maryna Er Gorbach
Ukraine’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards
The story of a Ukrainian family living on the border of Russia and Ukraine during the start of the war. Irka refuses to leave her house even as the village gets captured by armed forces. Shortly after they find themselves at the center of an international air crash catastrophe on July 17, 2014.
More about the film HERE.
Physical screening: 10/11.
Online screenings: 11/11, 12/11, 13/11
MARIOUPOLIS 2 by Mantas Kvedaravicius
In 2022, Mantas Kvedaravičius went back to Ukraine, Mariupol, at the heart of the war, to be with the people he had met and filmed in 2015. Following his death, his producers and collaborators have put all their strength to continue transmitting his work, his vision, and his films. Also holding a PhD in anthropology, Mantas Kvedaravičius wished to testify as a filmmaker as far as possible from the agitation of the media and the politicians. With huge force and sensitivity, Mariupolis 2 depicts life as it continues amidst the bombing and it reveals images that convey both tragedy and hope.
More about the film HERE.
Physical screening: 10/11
Online screenings: 11/11, 12/11, 13/11
LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG by Antonio Lukich
There are many beautiful places to die. Luxembourg is not one of them. But beautiful or not, Luxembourg makes dying very expensive. When twin brothers hear that their long-absent father is sick in Luxembourg, they set out on a journey from Ukraine to Central Europe to see him one last time. Will the man they find be the bad-ass dad they remember?
More about the film HERE.
Physical screening: 11/11
HOW IS KATIA? by Christina Tynkevych
Inspired by the principles of social realism, the director films a harsh society that imposes impossible choices on its members. Anna is a 35-year-old ambulance driver and single mother who lives in a cramped apartment with her young daughter, Katia, and her aging mother. When Katia is accidentally hit by a passing car that belongs to a well-connected and wealthy local politician, the film delves into a story of social injustice and revenge and reveals how flexible moral principles can be in a society governed by the “right of the strongest.” The film examines the gray area of personal morality, leading to a stark realization of how easy it is to abandon expected “civilized” behaviors and habits when faced with extreme circumstances.
More about the film HERE.
Online screenings: 9/11, 10/11, 11/11, 12/11, 13/11
Vladislav Voronin (director of photography),
Olha Matat (producer),
Christina Tynkevych (director, script writer) of HOW IS KATIA?, presenting their film at the 63rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival
BUTTERFLY VISION by Maksym Nakonechnyi
Moving away from typical glorious and patriotic (male) war stories, Buttefly Vision focuses on the condition of female soldiers who may have to face things worse than death. After spending months as a prisoner in Donbas, Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance expert Lilia returns home to her family. However, memories and feelings from her past captivity continue to torment her and resurface in dreamlike ways. While unable to forget, Lilia refuses to identify as a victim and instead starts a new struggle, this time to liberate herself. With this film, Maksym Nakonechnyi explores the haunting and often surreal dimensions of individual trauma, that here reflect the collective trauma of a country devasted by war, violence and hatred.
More about the film HERE.
Physical screenings: 06/11, 07/11
Ukrainian cinema at Thessaloniki Film Festival