Description
Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present and hope for the future. Co-directed by Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo, with extraordinary footage from first-time cinematographer Stefanov, Porcelain War embodies the passion and fight, that only an artist can put back into the world when it’s crumbling around them.
AWARDS/ACCOLADES:
2025 Oscar Nomination for Best Documentary Feature
2025 American Society of Cinematographers nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Documentary
Breckenridge Festival of Film Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature
(48 Awards in total)
REVIEWS:
“Porcelain War presents harrowing footage from the frontlines of a terrible conflict while treasuring the creativity that flourishes in spite of the chaos, yielding a profound humanistic statement on resilience.” – Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus (95%)
“Porcelain War is a testament to how life’s beauty — all the world’s fertility an artist is trained to see — endures among privation and death.” – Ty Burr, Washington Post
“The biggest messages I got from this film was Love with a capital “L” and courage in the face of the unknown. Also lots of dancing and silliness!” – The Argonaut
Friday, May 23rd
7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Run time: 1 hour 27 min
See trailer HERE
