DONBASS

DONBASS, 2018
Ukraine | DCP, Color, 110' | Ukrainian, Russian
Director: Sergey Loznitsa
Cast: Boris Kamorzin, Valeriu Andriuta, Tamara Yatsenko

Donbass, Ukraine’s submission for this year’s Oscars, portrays the conflict taking place in Ukraine’s Donbass region. Taking the viewer on a hair-raising tour of the country’s front line on the Russian border which has become the center of the conflict, the film begins with a group of actors having their makeup freshened in a trailer, after which they are led by a soldier to a square where controlled explosions are taking place. Their job is to make statements that will be broadcast in a fake news report. Donbass stands out for its narrative style, which focuses on the geographical region rather than the characters and story. The film won the award for Best Director in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.