First time in over 25 years - Ukrainian film in main competition at Berlinale
A still from the movie Timestamp
Kateryna Hornostai's film Timestamp, about Ukrainian schools during a full-scale war, has been included in the main competition program of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
The feature-length documentary will compete for the main prize, the Golden Bear. It is worth noting that this is the first film by a Ukrainian director to be selected for the main competition since 1997 - the last time it was Kira Muratova's Three Stories.
What the movie is about
Timestamp is a documentary about teachers and students who continue to teach and study during the war, including in the de-occupied and frontline territories.
The film was made without voiceovers, interviews, or reconstructions. It offers an in-depth look at the struggle of the Ukrainian people to preserve education, their existence, and their identity.
The film also shows how the war in Ukraine affects the daily lives of students and teachers, and the challenges of trying to maintain education and a sense of normalcy in the face of constant danger.
One of the film's protagonists, Borys Khovriak, was a teacher during the filming and is now defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Ukrainian Army, like many other teachers who have joined the Defense Forces.
By the way, this is Hornostai's second feature film at Berlinale. Her feature debut, STOP-EARTH, won the Crystal Bear from the Youth Jury of the Generation 14+ program at the Berlin Film Festival in 2021. The film was also awarded the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine.
Kateryna Hornostai (photo: press service)
Why is this film important
The aim of the film is not only to draw attention to the challenges faced by Ukrainian education but also to raise funds to rebuild schools destroyed by the war. During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, about 3,000 educational institutions were damaged, of which 400 were completely destroyed. The funds raised during the large-scale international campaign will help to repair and equip schools so that the educational process can continue despite the war.
"We want to remind the world that the war in Ukraine is ongoing, and its children and teachers are paying a heavy price for the opportunity to enjoy the basic human right to education. This film should become a means of drawing attention to our struggle. I believe in its powerful potential to evoke empathy and become a platform for dialogue in creative, academic, human rights, and political circles," comments Zoya Lytvyn, the film's executive producer, who is also the founder of Osvitoria, the association that proposed the idea of a film about education in times of war.
The 75th anniversary Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 13 to 23, 2025, and this year's jury will be headed by director Todd Haynes.
