Porcelain War
| Porcelain War | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by | Aniela Sidorska, Paula Dupre Pesmen, Brendan Bellomo |
| Cinematography | Andrey Stefanov |
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Countries | USA, Ukraine, Australia |
| Language | English |
Porcelain War is a 2024 documentary film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev. It won the 2024 Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize and follows the experience of Ukrainian artists as they face the current Russian occupation in Ukraine.[1][2][3]
Premise
[edit]Porcelain War follows Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov during the war in Ukraine. All of them join the Ukrainian defense,[4] and Slava works as a machine gun trainer. Even as the war goes on, Slava and Anya create porcelain figurines[5] in resistance to the war. The film emphasizes the purpose of art during conflict as well as national pride.[6]
The footage in Porcelain War includes Ukrainian landscape as well as the wreckage caused by war missiles.[4]
Production
[edit]War footage for Porcelain War was captured by GoPro action cameras and aerial drones.[6]
Release
[edit]The film won the Grand Jury Prize for the U.S. documentary category in the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.[7] Bellomo, who created the film along with Leontyev, explained that the film received an award "because of the bravery of the people of Ukraine".[8] The film was also sponsored by the Utah Film Center.[4]
Reception
[edit]Writing for Canada's POV Magazine, Courtney Small said the war footage in Porcelain War, "walks a fine line between praising the resilience of Leontyev's people and serving as a propaganda tool for the Ukrainian army." She further writes that the film is more interesting when it focuses not on the war itself but on its everyday impact on the people.[6]
Gallery
[edit]-
Andrey Stefanov, Sonya Stefanova, Anya Stefanova, and Olena Herasymenko -
Anya Stasenko -
Director Brendan Bellomo
References
[edit]- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (2024-01-27). "'Porcelain War' Review: Intimate Reflection on Making Art in Wartime Ukraine Is Beautiful but Frustrating". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "Sundance's top prizes go to 'In the Summers' and 'Porcelain War'". Los Angeles Times. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "'In the Summers' and 'Porcelain War' win top prizes at Sundance Film Festival". AP News. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c Roka, Les (24 January 2024) [January 24, 2024]. "Sundance 2024: Porcelain War is extraordinary testament in new frame of documentary filmmaking about war combat, indispensable presence of art". The Utah Review.
- ^ Painter, Ryan (January 20, 2024). "Sundance 2024: 'Porcelain War' is a testament to the resiliency of the people of Ukraine". KVAL 13.
- ^ a b c Small, Courtney (2024-01-23). "Porcelain War Review: The Fragile Nature of Conflict". POV Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ Olsen, Mark (January 26, 2024). "Sundance's top prizes go to 'In the Summers' and 'Porcelain War'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Associated Press. "'In the Summers' and 'Porcelain War' Win Top Prizes at Sundance Film Festival". U.S. News & World Report.
External links
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