The 74th Cannes Film Festival hosted the world premieres of two films that represent Ukraine this year: film director Serhiy Loznitsa’s Babi Yar. Context and film director Elie Grappe’s Olga.
According to the State Cinema Agency of Ukraine (Derzhkino), the main festival palace hosted the premiere of Loznitsa’s documentary Babi Yar. Context, which is included in the official program of the 74th Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings program.
“The film and its team were presented personally by Director General of the Cannes International Film Festival Thierry Frémaux. Created in cooperation with the Babi Yar (Babyn Yar) Holocaust Memorial Center, the film demonstrates unique shots restored from Ukrainian, Russian and German archives: the first months of the war, burnt villages and prisoners of war, explosions on Khreschatyk and the testimony of witnesses to the tragic events in Babi Yar,” the message says.
There was also a screening of Elie Grappe’s film Olga about a Ukrainian gymnast who has to make a difficult life choice while Euromaidan is taking place in her country.
“Created in co-production with Switzerland, France and Ukraine, the movie was filmed in Ukraine with the participation of the film company Pronto Film. The premiere was attended by the leading role actress of the film – a gymnast from Luhansk, a student of the Piddubny Olympic College, Anastasia Budiashkina. The audience greeted the tape with applause, and the press – with positive reviews,” the State Film Agency said.
