The 15th Odesa International Film Festival presents a documentary retrospective of Ukrainian cinema

The 15th Odesa International Film Festival will feature screenings of the Documentary retrospectives of Ukrainian cinema programme. It includes five films that have already won over audiences and conquered the festival juries:

• Crepuscule, dir. Valentyn Vasyanovych, 2014

This is a story of 82-years-old Maria and her sick son Sashko. They live out their days in the remotest depths of the provinces. Sashko went blind because of a serious illness. He’s afraid of his mother passing on first. Maria fully realizes that no one would look after her son and clings to life at any price. Country life hypnotizes by irrational actions of charismatic characters reduced to extremity and not willing to surrender.

• Plai, dir. Eva Dxhyshyashvili. 2021

Nearly four years of life of Malkovich family. A lot has happened during those years. The grandchildren have grown up. Vasyl’ko has learnt to speak, Anichka started going to school. Mariyka divorced and found new love. Only one thing has remained the same: the rules which govern the life of Dmytro and Hanusya. Their power in love: this is what makes them the keepers of the life-code, which is passed down from generation to generation, regardless.

• The Living, Serhiy Bukovsky, 2008

They were children, when everything was taken away from their parents. This film tells the story of how they survived the Great Ukrainian Femine (Holodomod)  of 1932-33. It also tells the story of British journalist Gareth Jones, whoes truthful reports about the Ukrainian tragedy were never heard in the West. 

• Ukrainian Sheriffs, dir. Roman Bondarchuk, 2015

Like a bird, the Ukrainian flag flies along perched on the car of two affable "sheriffs" deputized by the mayor of a village in southern Ukraine. There's a sly bum whose gift is not to work. There's a guy who puts an anaconda in his woman's shed. The advent of Euromaidan, and draft dodgers abound. Town folks are dipping in icy water and laughing, but are they divided in their loyalty? These sheriffs are taking you along for the ride.

• V. Silvestrov, dir. Serhiy Bukovsky, 2020 

The documentary “Silvestrov,” dedicated to this brilliant Ukrainian composer, is far from a traditional biopic about a prominent person. It is an observation, a confession and, most of all, a story of great talent set against the backdrop of uncertain times. Of course, film authors pay tribute to the composer’s creative techniques, but it is also a personal story of a genius mind with its oddity, curiosity and emotional depth.

The 15th Odesa International Film Festival will take place from July 12 to 20, 2024, in Kyiv.

The 15th Odesa International Film Festival is supported by the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the Creative Europe Program.