At FilmFestival Cottbus, which runs from 3 to 8 November, the Ukrainian film «Kira’s Dream» by Denys Kolesnikov will be presented in the Feature Film Competition. Screenings of other films from Ukraine are also planned in two sections.
This is reported by Suspilne, citing the festival’s website.
«Kira’s Dream» is the story of two sisters: the elder is planning to move to Australia, while the younger dreams and waits for spring. When their lives fall apart, one ends up in an orphanage and the other is left alone with a suitcase, a plane ticket and a letter from her sister.
The lead roles are played by Kateryna Artemenko and Mariia Leshchenko.
«Kira’s Dream» is Denys Kolesnikov’s feature-film debut as a director. Its release in Ukraine is expected in 2027.
The feature-film competition programme also includes «Memory» by director Vladlena Sandu, who was born in Crimea, lived in Chechnya for a long time, and now resides in the Netherlands.
The Spectrum section includes the films:
- «My Morning Routine», directed by Vadym Adamov;
A short documentary about the routine of a 19-year-old soldier on the line of contact. The film was shot on a GoPro directly in combat conditions in Bakhmut. Drawing on the format of influencers’ “morning routine” videos, the camera captures a morning on the front line.
- «EuroKryvbas», directed by Maryna Tkachuk and Anna Palenchuk;
The film explores the European heritage of the Dnipropetrovsk region and tells the story of the contribution made by Belgian, French, British, German and Polish entrepreneurs and engineers to the development of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and Kamianske.
- «The Miner», directed by Mykola But;
Caught at the epicentre of the Russian-Ukrainian war, civilians in Donbas face a choice: leave their homes or stay and risk their lives every day. The film tells of their painful dilemmas and the courage of volunteers who evacuate people and rescue their animals.
The section will also screen «Rapture I: Visit» (Rapture I — Visit) by director Alisa Berger, who was born in Dagestan and grew up in Ukraine. The film follows a Ukrainian dancer and his neglected flat in Donbas, where war has been going on for ten years.
The Hits section will screen the films:
- «All Shades of Temptation», directed by Iryna Hromozda;
The film is set in Lviv at the end of the 19th century. Amelia Kryzhevska-Zeh, the daughter of the late inventor of the kerosene lamp, returns to the family estate, which turns into a trap of intrigue, passion and deadly danger, where her husband and servants seek her wealth—and her disappearance.
- «On the Drive», directed by Artem Lytvynenko;
An adventure film about the present-day realities of the frontline city of Kharkiv. In the story, a group of friends finds abandoned cars in a shopping centre closed because of the war and stages races.
The Cottbus Film Festival (FFC) is one of the world’s leading festivals of contemporary cinema from Central and Eastern Europe. The festival has three main competitions: Feature Film Competition, Short Film Competition and GenNext Competition. The competitions are complemented by a varied programme with changing thematic and regional focuses.