From 25 June to 2 November, Kiev will host the 54th International Film Festival “Youth”, where you can watch Ukrainian premieres and the latest world news.
“Love that I don't know”
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One of the most important films from the master of Scandinavian cinema, Glynur Paulmason, will be shown at the Molodist festival within the Scandinavian Panorama. The film begins with scenes where a house is destroyed – this is a metaphor for what happens in the life of Magnus and Annie, who, having given birth to three children, go through separation. Anna is an artist who can do everything in order to gain the respect of the world, while simultaneously writing about the farm and children. Magnus is a fisherman for whom it is important to come to terms with separation. Children want to give birth to the love of their fathers, but they will be too busy with games and adventures. The film depicts the sweet sum of a faded meal and sleepy dreams against the backdrop of Icelandic nature. “Loves That Don't Know” was nominated by Iceland for the Oscar award in the section “Best International Film” and presented at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Our house is on fire”
The main event of “Youth” is an international competition that has collected 12 feature-length films. One of them is the Ukrainian story “Our House is in the Fire” directed by Olesya Biletskaya, which will have its world premiere at the festival on the 29th. This is a sensitive story about love, war and complex life choices. At the center of the plot is a young dreamer Sofia (Anastasia Pustovit), who is developing an international career in Los Angeles. The beginnings of a great war are avoiding the beginnings of the great war in the city of Kiev, and we are fighting with a great guy Max (Lyubomir Valivots), almost until we have to fight again. Now she is worried about making money between farms and security, home and career.
“Just a quirk”
“Just a whim” – a line by the opposition Iranian director Jafar Panaghi first appeared in the main program of the Cannes Film Festival and was part of “The Golden Palm”. This is the story of the mechanic Vahid, who suddenly confronts a man named Ebal, who predicts a lot of prison punishment. The main character wonders how far he is ready to go to take revenge on the one who ruined his life. In her dramatic thriller, Panaga talks about the seekers of truth and freedom and the ways to achieve them in an imperfect world – through mercy or, after all, payment?
“Unspeakable Friend”
The Ugric director Ildiko Enyedi, known for her intellectual and poetic cinema, presented at the Venice Film Festival the line “A Silent Friend” from Lea Seydoux, Tonya Lun and Luna Wedler among the main roles. The plot unfolds around a hundred-year-old Ginkgo tree in a botanical garden in Marburz, Germany, at different times – 1908, 1972 and 2020. “The Silent Friend” explores the subtle connections between people and their core. The film won the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Press) prize, and the Swiss Luna Wedler won the Marcello Mastroianni Prize as the most young actor.
“Continental '25”
The film of the classic “Romanian New Life” by Radu Jude, which premiered in the main competition at the Berlinale for the script of the director who directed “The Sorrow Bear”. The film investigates the crime as a social phenomenon in the case of the main character Orsha, who works as a ship's viconovich. They have been entrusted to hang out in this old house, so that in the near future the atmosphere of a luxurious hotel may emerge in this place. The man asks for the annual assembly and lays hands on himself. Tormented by a sense of guilt, Orsha is considering her long-planned release from her homeland and is looking for trouble in her relations with various people. Neither her boyfriend, nor her best friend, nor her priest can solve the woman’s moral dilemma.
“Втомлені”
“Vtomleni” is another world premiere and directorial debut of Ukrainian cinematographer Yuriy Danube, who is now serving with the ZSU. The page tells about Lyuba and Andria – war veterans who bear visible and invisible scars and are trying to cope with a peaceful life. At the same time, they walk a long way to get dressed and find joy and encouragement one in one. The main roles were played by Valeria Khodos, Dmytro Sova and Irma Vitovska.
“Our darkest days”
In the final program “Youth-Youth”, a new generation of filmmakers will share a fresh look at those growing up, hundreds and jokes to themselves. The drama “Our Darkest Days” is the feature-length debut of Greek director Vasilis Kekatos. This is a story about young Chloe, who, having spent her life over her head, is tempted to leave Athens and go to the other end of the country to live with her older sister. On the way, she meets a group of young people who travel around Greece in a van and help people who have fallen into poverty. The girl is obsessed with ideals and the group’s unconventional way of living and joins them. You learn how to talk about others and your mother’s family. She becomes confused, disappointed, experiences fear, the insecurity of that freedom – and is unable to find the path to proper adulthood.
