SHARDS OF LIGHT / УЛАМКИ СВІТЛА

Leonid Nefedovich
Sep 17
2 min read

Updated: Sep 21

2025 / 93' / documentary / Germany, Ukraine, Denmark

The residents of Bucha, Ukraine, are rebuilding their city from the rubble after surviving the horrors of Russian occupation. A newly married couple, a schoolgirl, a city ofﬁcial, and an elderly housewife have all endured the painful experiences of war, yet they manage to hold onto hope and solidarity. But how do you rebuild in the wake of growing trauma, especially with war still raging in your country? As time goes on and hopes for a peaceful life fade, they must grapple with mounting tensions within their communities. Shot over a three-year period, the ﬁlm follows ﬁve protagonists navigating the complex terrain of inner conﬂicts, trauma, and a longing for justice, posing questions about the future of a society at war.

Screenings schedule:

September 27, 2025 at 07:30 p.m. at the Zhovten Cinema, Kinoman Hall

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DIRECTOR - MILA TESHAIEVA

Biography

Mila Teshaieva is a Ukrainian/ German artist and filmmaker whose work explores how historical narratives and political structures shape both individual and collective identities. Her work received worldwide recognition and was presented in institutions, as MIT Museum, Red Cross Museum, Museum of European Cultures, and is held in multiple public collections. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Teshaieva returned to Kyiv and its surrounding regions to document the unfolding events. Her first feature documentary “When Spring came to Bucha” premiered at IDFA in 2022 and in 2023 received Audience Award at HotDocs, German Documentary Film Award, Grimme Award and Main Award at AJB DOC.

Selected filmography:

2025: Shards of LIGHT
2022: When Spring came to Bucha

DIRECTOR - MARCUS LENZ

Biography

Marcus Lenz is a German director and cinematographer based in Berlin. He graduated from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB, and is an author of numerous documentary and fiction films. His latest fiction film "Rival" had it's world premiere simultaneously at the Busan International Film Festival, Korea and the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. In FF Hof he won the Förderpreis Junges Deutsches Kino, with many int. prizes followed. In 2022 he co-directed with Mila Teshaieva the documentary “When Spring came to Bucha”.

Selected filmography: