SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER | 14:00 | SCREENING | INVASION

Pavel Mozhar uses the streets of his Berlin neighbourhood as the backdrop for an investigation into the systematic nature of Russian and Belarusian war crimes in Ukraine. Oleg Chorny films the inhabitants of Kiev, who try to maintain a peaceful way of life, despite massive attacks by Russian troops. Andriy Rachinskiy and Daniil Revkovakiy assemble archival videos collected or filmed by civilians before and during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These precarious, authentic sequences made by witnesses risk being lost in the flow of images, but, put together, they communicate people's experiences and constitute evidence of the crimes.

Pavel Mozhar: Unwanted Kinship | Documentary | 4k | colour | 0:30:00 | Germany | 2024

The reports by civilian victims of the Russian and Belarusian occupation in Ukraine contain descriptions of torture and repression that appear to be systematic in nature. Taking those reports as a basis, a filmmaker born in Belarus investigates that systematic procedure on the streets of his Berlin neighbourhood. He also confronts the question of what this war of annihilation has to do with him and what responsibility he himself bears.

Biography

Born in Minsk, Belarus in 1987, he grew up in and around Berlin from the age of ten. From 2009 to 2012, he studied philosophy and economics at the University of Bayreuth. In 2015, he took up a film directing degree with a focus on documentary at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. His short documentary “Handbook”, about the protests in Belarus in August 2020, won numerous awards, including Best Short Film at the IDFA in 2021. Mozhar’s most recent work is a short documentary “Unwanted Kinship” about the Russian war of extermination in Ukraine.

Oleg Chorny: Kyiv in the Days of War | Documentary | 4k | colour | 0:03:09 | Ukraine | 2022

On the 24th of February 2022 Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the beginning of April the first massive attack of Russian troops was repulsed, but Kyiv is still suffering by air strikes. There are traces of war on the streets of the city. Defensive structures are ready, because the enemy could attempt to occupy the capital of Ukraine again. Despite this the residents of Kyiv are trying to maintain habits of peaceful life, but the war continues.

Biography

Oleg Chorny was born in 1963. Graduated from the film director’s department of the State Institute of Theatre and cinema in 1985. Worked at the Olexander Dovzhenko State Film Studio in Kyiv, various governmental and non-governmental film and video studios. He has shot a number of feature shorts, documentaries, ecological and promo films and musical video clips. He is member of the Ukrainian Filmmakers Union.

His short feature movies and documentaries participated at the programs at the Ukrainian and international festivals. In 1996 Oleg Chorny and Gennady Khmaruk (w.b. 1972) has founded the non-profit creative unit “Sampled Pictures”. A number of videos created by “Sampled Pictures” were presented at the various film and video festivals, exhibitions and club screenings.

Andriy Rachinskiy, Daniil Revkovakiy: Civilians. Invasion | Documentary | hdv | colour | 0:56:38 | Ukraine | 2023

"Civilians. Invasion", created in 2023, documents the experiences of Ukrainians during the Russian aggression against Ukraine. This invasion led to extensive documentation by civilians, soldiers, and journalists, resulting in a wealth of photo and video materials that made their way onto social media platforms. While some of this content went viral through Telegram channels and other social networks, many photos and videos remained relatively unknown with minimal views. The film is structured around a specific storyline, starting from the initial days of the invasion and unfolding the events related to how people navigate a new reality: how to live and survive, the risks faced by civilians during the conflict, episodes of housing destruction, and stories of those who have lost their loved ones.

In 2024 "Civilians. Invasion" represents Ukraine at the 60th Venice Biennale.

Biography

Andrii Rachynskyi and Daniil Revkovskyi, Kharkiv (Ukraine), are fusing different formats of artistic practices (installations, reenactment, video, archives), researching the contexts and landscapes of the industrial regions of Ukraine.

They graduated from the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Art with a degree in graphic design. They were nominated for the PinchukArtCentre Prize in 2018, 2020 and in 2022 were the winners of the 2020 PinchukArtCentre Prize Audience Award for the project “Hooligans.” They were awarded the Allegro Prize in 2022.

In 2024, Andrii Rachinskyi and Daniil Revkovskyi represent Ukraine at the 60th Venice Biennale.