Six Ukrainian Films to Feature at Luxembourg’s CinÉast Festival This October

Six Ukrainian films are set to participate in the Central and Eastern European Film Festival CinÉast, which will take place in Luxembourg this October, according to Ukraine’s State Film Agency.

CinÉast is an annual non-profit festival showcasing contemporary cinema from Central and Eastern Europe. It is held at key venues across Luxembourg, and this year’s edition will run from October 3 to 20.

The Ukrainian films to be featured include:

Lessons of Tolerance (Arkadii Nepytaliuk, 2023)

A provincial schoolteacher, determined to save her family from financial ruin and prevent it from falling apart, persuades her husband and children to enroll in the government’s European integration program. As part of the program, they are required to temporarily host an LGBT representative and activist in their home.

Me, ‘Pobeda’ and Berlin (Olha Riashyna, 2022)

Set in the early 90s, this road movie follows the adventures of a young man who sets out on a journey from Ukraine to Berlin in an old Soviet car named "Pobeda." The movie is based on the novella of the same name by famous Ukrainian musician Kuzma Skryabin.

Porcelain War (Slava Leontiev, 2024)

The movie follows Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrii Stefanov during the war in Ukraine. All three join the Ukrainian defense, with Slava serving as a machine gun trainer. Despite the ongoing war, Slava and Anya continue to create porcelain figurines as an act of resistance.

Zinema (Kornii Hrytsiuk, 2024)

A documentary film about Russian propaganda. "I was interested in working on the topic of propaganda in Russian media. But I realized that much has already been done in that area. So, I turned my attention to Russian feature films. Specifically, feature films, because I understand that their documentaries have little to do with cinema, art, or true documentary filmmaking. However, Russian feature films pretend to be something outside of politics,” said director Kornii Hrytsiuk.

Songs of Slow Burning Earth (Olha Zhurba, 2024)

"Songs of Slow Burning Earth" portrays life in Ukraine during the first two years of full-scale invasion. The film documents the societal changes as Ukraine moves from the initial panic of war's onset to accepting death and devastation, which eventually become a tragic norm for Ukrainians.

Peaceful People (Oksana Karpovych, 2024)

“Peaceful People” contrasts two worlds by capturing the aftermath of liberation from Russian occupation. It shows Ukrainian towns and infrastructure slowly coming back to life, offering hope and countering the media's portrayal of destruction.

In addition to the film screenings, the festival will feature lectures, workshops, and networking events with 30 leading film professionals from across Europe.