Ukrainian film “Atlantis” has been selected for the long list of this year’s European Film Awards, the European Film Academy announced on Aug. 18.
The film was longlisted along with 31 other pictures. The list of feature-length films will be screened for over 3,800 members of the European Film Academy, who will later vote for the nominations in several categories, including European Film, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenwriter. The shortlist will be announced in September.
“Atlantis” is yet another film that puts Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine in the spotlight, attracting international attention to the war that has killed over 13,000 people since its start in 2014.
The picture fantasizes about what the devastated Ukrainian Donbas will look like in 2025 after Ukraine wins the war against Russia in eastern Ukraine. “Atlantis” tells the story of a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who struggles to adapt to the new reality in the Donbas, which has been declared uninhabitable, and almost loses hope before he befriends a volunteer and realizes there’s still a chance for a better future.
“Being shortlisted for or nominated for a European Film Academy Award will give us the opportunity to remind the world once again of the fragile world in which we all live. And that without stopping the aggressor today, tomorrow may not come,” director Valentyn Vasyanovych said in a statement.
Vasyanovych is the director, screenwriter, cameraman and co-producer of the film. The cast features amateur actors, including a former soldier, paramedic and volunteer.
The drama premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival in September, where it earned the first victory in the Horizons section for Ukraine.
The picture was partially financed by Ukraine’s State Film Agency. It will hit Ukrainian cinemas on Nov. 5.
Last year, Nariman Aliev’s “Homeward,” a drama about the tragedy of a Crimean Tatar family, was featured on the long list, but didn’t receive any nominations.
The 33rd European Film Awards ceremony will take place on Dec. 12 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
