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UKRAINIAN SHORT FILMS

Part of CINECITY film festival 2024

Two programmes of recent short films made by Ukrainian filmmakers, at home and abroad. Curated by Sasha Prokopenko, Head of Programming, and Olga Gusiatynska, Programmer, Kyiv International Short Film Festival.

PROGRAMME 1: Ukrainian Cities Talking (80 mins.)

The scene is like a strange dream. You see familiar images that have been a part of your life – the paths you've always walked, the yard where you played as a child, and the rooftops where you had your first kiss. Yet, when you look closely, you notice unusual details that reflect the impact of war on your reality.

The directors of these five films capture the essence of cities, homes, and their own lives, conveying a mix of fleeting peace and underlying tension. They document voices and stories, their own and others, and thread them together to create a vivid portrayal of the city, understanding that cities would be devoid of life without people and their voices.

Ukrainian with English subtitles

I Stumble Every Time I Hear From Kyiv Dir: Daryna Mamaisur. Ukraine, Portugal, Hungary, Belgium 2022. 17 mins.

"I'm speechless" is a familiar expression when the reality of war is so shocking that language seems incapable of describing it. unable to comprehend it. Director Daryna Mamaisur is away studying in Brussels at the time of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In the springtime, when chestnut trees are blooming in Brussels and Kyiv at the same time, she begins to work on a film based on conversations and video exchanges with a friend back in Ukraine.

When will the winter of 2022 end? Dir: Hanna Trofimova. Ukraine 2022. 23 mins.

With the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine, the director was in Kyiv and filmed her observations of others from her balcony, walked the streets, stood in line at the shop and tried to put her life into a new reality. The film consists of videos she shot during the first three months of the conflict and her diary entries.

Three Windows on South West Dir: Mariia Ponomarova. Ukraine 2023. 8 mins.

Starting from a picture of her apartment in Kyiv, director Mariia Ponomarova remembers the life she has lived there. In three conversations with her mother and her friends, they reminisce about sleepovers, the view from the window and drunken nights on the rooftop. Through these memories, she begins to reclaim the image of her home.

Voice Messages From Bakhmut Dir: Ihor Babaiev. Ukraine, Lithuania 2023. 16 mins.

Bakhmut, Donetsk region, 2022. An attempt to restore intimacy, told via the voice messages of a foreign correspondent in a front-line city.

Hello, I’m on the Hill Dir: Liza Pyrozhkova. Ukraine 2023. 14 mins.

Izium, in the Kharkiv region, was severely damaged during the war. Even after its liberation, the city remained isolated. The highest hill, called Kremyanets, became the only place where locals could find a signal. After months of occupation, the hill turned into an "island of communication," where people could finally reconnect with their loved ones.

Pay What You Decide

Pay What You Decide (PWYD) tickets are available for this event. These are limited to 20 tickets per performance, with a maximum of 2 tickets available per customer. Find out more.