Sundance Grand Jury Prize Documentary Winner

Cinematic essays take many forms: few are as fragile and contemplative as Porcelain War; all the more remarkable for the fact that Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s documentary observes the outbreak of war in Ukraine and its immediate aftermath during which Slava, an artisan porcelain maker, is seconded to train young recruits on how to use assault weaponry. Yet as his partner Anya Stasenko paints – and animates – their beautiful, ethereal, translucent objets, there is a sense of enduring beauty to fight for…  Porcelain War is as delicate as Anya’s paintings. It is an unusual film which attempts to meld an intimate look at fine artists and artistry – story-telling within story-telling – during a time of war, and to stress why the stakes are so high in what these soldiers are trying to protect with their very lives. Suffused with the golden-hour nature of Kharkiv, the film also features music by Ukrainian force of sound DakhaBrakha which is not easily forgotten. –Screen Daily

“Finding beauty amid devastation, this absorbing documentary offers a persuasive case for the value of artistic expression even during times of intense crisis and conflict” – Cinemalogue
**Note: Date in the Guide is incorrect. These are the actual dates