Ukrainian Cinema Days returns to the Skalvija cinema center on February 20–25 – a unique event, presenting the most striking contemporary Ukrainian feature and documentary films. The carefully selected program of six films features vitality, diversity, and vigor, reflecting the country's culture, history, and strength of the nation.
The event will open with the Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Brendan Bellom and Slava Leontiev, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Porcelain War (2024). Using porcelain as a metaphor for the Ukrainian people – “easy to break, but impossible to destroy” – the directors explore the intersection of art and resistance. The film’s evocative atmosphere is enhanced by the soundtrack of the well-known Lithuanian folk music group “DakhaBrakha”.
The program will also feature a documentary directed by Oksana Karpovych, which received a special jury mention in the Forum program of the Berlin International Film Festival. Intercepted connection (2024). Through conversations of Russian military personnel intercepted by Ukrainian special services, the film reveals the widespread destruction caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The winner of the festival's "Docudays UA" competition, Alisa Kovalenko's documentary, will also be presented. They won't extinguish us. (2023). This exciting film tells the story of teenagers from Donbas living on the front line who, after setting off on an expedition to the Himalayas, get a unique opportunity to explore the world beyond the war.
In the narrative film program, viewers will see films of various genres intended for a wide audience. A romantic-gastronomic story about Ukrainian culinary traditions directed by Oleksandr Berezan – The taste of freedom (2023). The film will be presented by one of the main actors, Tetiana Malkova. The science fiction comedy directed by Pavlo Ostrikov will also be presented You are the universe. (2024), which wittily and unexpectedly examines the eternal relationship between man and woman and the nature of love and connection.
Ukrainian Film Days to feature award-winning female directors Iryna Tsilyk latest movie Stone, paper, grenade (2023) – a story chronicling a young person’s transition into adulthood, set in the XNUMXs. After the screenings, viewers will have the opportunity to meet the director herself. Iryna Tsilyk is an acclaimed filmmaker, writer, and screenwriter, whose documentary The earth is as blue as orange (2020) won the Sundance Film Festival's Best Director Award in the World Documentary category, as well as numerous other prestigious awards. In addition to her success in film, Tsilyk is also the author of numerous books - her poetry, prose, and children's literature have been translated into many languages and presented at international literary festivals.
On February 24, at 13:00 PM, a cultural dialogue-discussion “Ukrainian Visual Culture: Rebuilding” will be held at the “Meno Avilio” Cinematheque. The discussion will analyze the role of cultural resilience in restoring communities and cultural heritage, discuss the future prospects of the audiovisual sector and its contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine. The event will bring together artists, representatives of cultural organizations and creative professionals from Ukraine, Lithuania and Europe, who will discuss the interaction of culture, restoration and innovation, and the importance of art in shaping the future of Ukrainian society.
All films will be shown with Lithuanian and some with English subtitles. It is important to note that for Ukrainians The sessions will be free.
Ukrainian Film Days in Vilnius are implemented with the support of the IZOLYATSIA Foundation, Trans Europe Halles and Malý Berlín, and are also partially funded by the ZMINA: Reconstruction programme, which is supported by the European Union under a special call for applications aimed at supporting displaced Ukrainian people and the cultural and creative sectors of Ukraine.
