The movie, entitled Ludzie (People) and set to hit cinemas this autumn, is one of the world's first full-length features to address the war in Ukraine.
Written by Maciej Ślesicki and directed by Ślesicki and Filip Hillesland, Ludzie looks away from the battlefield to focus on the nightmarish chaos thrust upon ordinary people.
Ludzie delves into the lives of five female characters at different stages of life, including a young girl in a stroller, illustrating the war's horrors as seen through their eyes.
Ślesicki, a co-founder and lecturer at the Warsaw Film School, told the media that his motivation for making the film stemmed from a personal outrage and a desire to communicate through cinema.
"We wondered whether it was appropriate to make a film about a war that is still ongoing," he said. "Confirmation came from the Ukrainian side. They kept telling us to do it since Ukrainians cannot now speak about what is affecting them."
Produced by the Warsaw Film School with the support of Polish state institutions, the film features Oksana Cherkashyna, an Ukrainian actress based in Poland, Cezary Pazura, one of Poland's best known actors, and Mariia Shtofa, a young Ukrainian actress, in leading roles.
Ludzie serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of storytelling, especially in a time of war. The narrative aims to bridge the gap in understanding for those accustomed to Western culture, who the filmmakers say may find it difficult to comprehend the full extent of the atrocities which are going on right now, in our time.
With the world marking the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ludzie received a pre-release screening.
As the film prepares for its general release in Poland this autumn, after making rounds in the festival circuit, its creators hope to evoke empathy and awareness among viewers, emphasizing the narrative's focus on humanity and the personal struggles of women and children in a time of war.
The filmmakers commented: "We made this film with the conviction that now, two years after the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine, Western societies will simply become weary of this war and begin to forget. We tried to make a film to remind them, to convey that very close to here, innocent people who have done no wrong to anyone have been, and continue to die."
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, polskieradio.pl
