The Cinematheque

Ukraine

“A sublime and stirring documentary … Porcelain War understands that great art can act as both a bulwark and beacon.”

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

Amidst the chaos and destruction of the Russian invasion, three Ukrainian artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and country. Despite daily shelling, Anya Stasenko, Andrey Stefanov, and co-director Slava Leontyev elect to stay behind, arming themselves with art, cameras, and, for the first time, guns. Anya finds purpose in ceramic painting, Andrey takes a dangerous journey to get his family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Anya and Slava channel their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hopes for the future into porcelain figurines. An extraordinary document of an extraordinary time, Porcelain War was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.

In Ukrainian, Russian, and English with English subtitles

Proceeds from this screening will benefit the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, a charitable foundation that develops, organizes, and delivers assistance projects generated by Canadians, directed to Ukraine.