Cinema: Ukrainian New Wave: Before Dawn

Before Dawn is not so much a theme as it is a reflection—a sharply observed emotional snapshot of a nation on the edge. This collection of eight short films, curated by the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre, serves as a cinematic time capsule of Ukraine’s first year under full-scale invasion, while also imagining distant futures, including a reimagined Mariupol in 2068.

These films—spanning fiction, documentary, and animation—offer raw, deeply personal responses to war, displacement, survival, and imagination. Ranging in tone from absurd to tender, and from surreal to brutally real, they collectively amplify Ukraine’s diverse artistic voices in a time of national trauma and resilience.

All films are subtitled in English. Total runtime: approx. 100 minutes.

The program includes:
THE WAR THAT IS ALWAYS AROUND (2022) by Iryna Harkavets
The author explores the harrowing experience of Russia’s war against Ukraine, depicting the horrors faced, the subsequent return home, and the ongoing struggle with the lasting consequences posed by PTSD.

LITURGY OF ANTI-TANK OBSTACLES (2022) by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk
Ukrainian reality is divided into two periods – before and after the war. In the nationwide resistance, every citizen tries to be helpful. Ukrainians change professions and adapt to wartime needs. Sculptors fabricate anti-tank obstacles in their art workshops. Just like the Terracotta Army, silent figures of Ukrainian personalities, angels, Cossacks, and multiple copies of Jesus Christ are frozen in anticipation of new creations.

IT IS QUIET HERE (2022) by Olena Podolianko Novruz Hіkmet
A young couple finds themselves isolated from the world for an entire night in a hotel room near the border. During this time, they make a pact not to discuss the ongoing war. Immersed in their intimate cocoon, they lose track of time, only realizing the arrival of morning, which compels them to confront the return to the harsh reality outside their private refuge.

KHARKIV MUSIC FEST DID HAPPEN (2022) by Viacheslav Turyanytsia
On February 24, 2022, a full-scale war was launched against Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Men and women, driven by a strong sense of duty, volunteered to join the Armed Forces and Territorial Defense. The volunteer movement mobilized its efforts, establishing assistance centers for refugees in response to the urgent needs of the community. The protagonist, student Serhiy, volunteers daily at a humanitarian hub for IDPs in Uzhhorod, but feels guilty for not doing enough to win the war. Meanwhile, Serhii’s friend, who has nowhere to live, comes to town.

VISION OF LIFE (2022) by Diana Derii
A video art piece capturing the essence of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, in May 2022. The video contrasts the city’s tranquility with the subtleties of war, revealing a paradoxical existence. As the sun sets, the city transforms into a nocturnal realm, adhering to strict light concealment after 11 PM. Using a thermal imager, the film unveils the concealed activities within this darkened landscape, showcasing the city’s resilience and the persistence of life amidst challenging times. “Vision of Life” becomes a poignant testament to humanity’s ability to adapt and endure even in the darkest hours.

FORTRESS MARIUPOL. OREST (2022) by Yuliia Hontaruk
“Fortress Mariupol” is a footage film of video calls with the soldiers who were encircled at Azovstal in Mariupol. Throughout the siege, the director engages with fighters from the Azov regiment, creating poignant portraits that capture the challenging circumstances they face.
The film’s protagonist is Orest, a former liaison officer and now head of the Azov Regiment’s press service in Mariupol. Orest has been covering the situation in the city and at Azovstal since the beginning of the Russian invasion. The soldier returned from captivity in the fall of 2022.

WAKING UP IN SILENCE (2022) by Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi
A former military barracks of the Wehrmacht now serves as a refugee camp for displaced Ukrainians. “Waking up in silence” accompanies the children on their journey, where their own history intertwines with that of the barracks. A moment between past and future, war and silence, departure and arrival, which paints a portrait of German past and present through the eyes of its young protagonists.

KHAYT (2021) by Sashko Protyah
Khayt is a fictional diary about the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in 2068, where a protagonist arrives to participate in an art residency. The traditional dance of khaytarma, practiced by Azov Greek minorities, is revived by the future underground electronic music scene of Mariupol in a drive to rediscover the local cultural life of the 2000s. Combining reels from the amateur online archive of DIY Azov Greek music videos with the reconsideration of khaytarma’s rhythmic structure by the Mavru Sproutsku Paromit music collective, Sashko Protyah nurtures an imaginary horizon of the peripheral Ukrainian city after the global anti-carbon revolution.