Alina Krasnianska

Culture vs War. Serhii Mykhalchuk

Before the full-scale invasion began, cinematographer Serhii Mykhalchuk was making feature films that were watched in Ukraine and around the world. His work includes about 40 films, 4 of which were nominated for an Oscar and received dozens of world awards for cinematography. However, with Russia's attack on Ukraine, Serhii Mykhalchuk's focus has completely shifted to non-fictional, real-life stories. Having picked up a camera on the first day of the invasion, he still records the events and participants of the war every day. This is the story of an artist who stood up to defend the country at a crucial moment for the country, and a warrior whose main weapon remains creativity.

Culture vs War. Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov

Before the full-scale invasion, a couple from Odesa, Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov, were successful photographers: they photographed couples in love, held master classes and taught the art of photography. But after February 24, 2022, they radically changed the vector of their work: they began to work as documentary photographers in the hottest spots of the war. Their photos are striking, poignant, terrifying, and no one will be left unmoved by them. The works of Kostiantyn and Vlada have traveled all over the world, they are shared by thousands of users on social networks and published by the largest international media, including BBC, Associated Press, Welt, Vogue and Forbes. Photography became their weapon in the fight against the enemy.

ALIE

On September 5, 1977, the American robotic space probe Voyager was launched into space for exploring the Solar system and outside it. A gold disk containing coded information was on board. On the disk were recorded greetings and invitation to visit the Earth in all languages of our world. The film tells the story of an alien ALIE by name who responded to the invitation from inhabitants of the Earth. Gravity that confined ALIE to a wheelchair, people around him, who don't understand each other, homesickness. That's not all the problems the hero faced being among people. The moment he meets his love seems to lose touch with reality. But he finds the path to himself.

The Coffin

Ukrainian existential western. Having lost his family, the old Ivan is going mad, he colors his face with paints and puts on a Gothic head-wear made of feathers, he removes icon from the frame. Ivan builds himself a coffin with his own hands and prepares for meeting with the death. It seems nobody can bring his mind back. An unexpected meeting with a vagabond black dog changes his plans. Looking into the dog's eyes, Ivan comes round, he realizes that the death has arrived and meets it with dignity. The old man washes the paint off and takes away the head-wear, he returns icons to the frames and disassembling the coffin, builds a doghouse for the dog. Ivan dies with a smile on his face.