Poland chooses film about Ukrainian family in early days of Russian invasion as 2025 Oscar entry
Poland has selected its entry for the 2025 Oscars: Under the Volcano, a film by Damian Kocur that tells the story of a Ukrainian family during the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The lead roles are played by Ukrainian actors. The movie’s world premiere recently took place at the Toronto Film Festival.
Source: Deadline
The screenplay was written by Kocur and Marta Konarzewska. The cinematographer is Ukrainian Mykyta Kuzmenko, known for his work on Pamfir and The Living Fire. The lead roles are played by Roman Lutskyi, Anastasia Karpenko, Sofia Berezovska and Fedir Puhachov.
The film tells the story of the Kovalenko family, who are on holiday in Tenerife when they learn about the start of the full-scale invasion and are effectively transformed from tourists into refugees stranded on the island. The narrative is presented from the perspective of the 16-year-old daughter, Sofiia.
Quote from the Polish Oscar committee: "The state of surprise, uncertainty and loss intensifies family conflicts... The film, presented in an ascetic form, touches on the most difficult topics of our time – war and migration – leaving the viewer with the feeling that each of us could find ourselves waking up under a volcano... Unresolved conflicts surface, and the fear experienced by members of the family blends with a sense of guilt."
Under the Volcano will open the 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia next week.
Background:
- The Ukrainian Oscar Committee met on Monday, 9 September to choose the film that will represent Ukraine at the 97th Academy Awards presented by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ukraine will be represented in the Best International Feature Film category by Philip Sotnychenko's film La Palisiada.
- Sotnychenko's film tells the story of a forensic psychiatrist who has to participate in the investigation of a police officer's murder. The authorities are eager to close the case before the death penalty is abolished, but the doctor is uncertain about whether the accused is guilty. The film is set in 1996, just a few months before the signing of Protocol No. 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which stipulated the abolition of the death penalty.
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