In 2022, Kvedaravicius went back to Mariupol to be with the people he had met and filmed for his 2016 film Mariupolis (that was shown three weeks ago). A community that had persisted on the edge of danger seven years prior was now at the epicenter of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Smoke billows from nearby apartment buildings. The sounds of artillery and bombs falling are persistent. People huddle in a church basement, toggling between endurance and exasperation, while others rig up a makeshift kitchen amongst the rubble, making do, making jokes, defying the conditions forced upon them. Kvedaravicius was murdered by Russian forces—shortly after the last footage we see in the film—leaving his widow Hanna Bilbrova to edit and complete this film. It received a world premiere mere months later at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. This raw, fiercely human document illuminates staggering acts of endurance and resistance within a community under siege.
This film screening is in cooperation with the Zebra Kino. The film is in Ukrainian with English subtitles, the introduction is in English. Admission is free. The movie has an age restriction of 16 years.
This event emphasizes the ongoing support for the Ukrainian people and pays tribute to the director’s life and work. There will be an introduction beforehand, and afterward, we invite the audience to reflect on the film together in an informal round.