UKR/GER, 2018, directed by Roman Bondarchuk, 106', OV engl. subtitles
(narrative)
A series of odd coincidences has left Lukas, an interpreter for an OSCE military checkpoint inspection tour, stranded near a small southern Ukrainian steppe town. With nowhere to turn, this city boy finds shelter in the home of a local named Vova. With Vova as his guide, Lukas is confronted by a universe beyond his imagination, one in which life seems utterly detached from any identifiable structure. Fascinated by his host and his host’s daughter Marushka, with whom he is rapidly falling in love, Lukas’s contempt for provincial life slowly melts away and sets him on a quest for a happiness he had never known could exist.
Gliding between the poetry of the steppe landscapes, and the absurdity of the characters, between the timelessness of life in a small city and a keen topicality due to the ongoing military conflict, this film becomes a story about a fatal trip to southern Ukraine – a region that is literally captivating. First as drama, then as comedy – first as a story about violence, then as a love story.
Best cinematography at the 2020 Ukrainian National Film Awards in 2020.
Guest: Daria Badior (Cultural critic)
Moderator: Daria Buteiko (Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin)
Funded by Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
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