Company of Steel by Yulia Hontaruk
B2B Doc will present 13 documentary film projects from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan at KFF Industry on June 4. Most of the new works have never been pitched previously and for many filmmakers this will be the first serious meeting with the international documentary film industry.
“After the Russian aggression of Ukraine escalated on February 24, it became clear that B2B Doc had to move all its activities to the safe zone within EU. Our colleagues at Krakow FF found an opportunity to integrate the B2B Doc Launch Pad pitching with the existing framework of the festival’s industry programme, which is initially very intense and productive – as always,” writes Alex Shiriaief, Head of Operations at B2B Doc.
“Today there are in every B2B Doc country either ongoing wars, issues with occupied territories or social conflicts. This reflects the topics the filmmakers are covering with their films. What will make the B2B Doc pitching in Krakow special is of course the war in Ukraine. B2B Doc will bring Ukrainian filmmakers to Krakow with topical film stories, different from what we see in the daily news,” he adds.
Shiriaief further comments: “The personal stories and dramas from Belarus will also be an attractive part for the international commissioning editors and decision makers attending the B2B Doc pitching. Belarusian filmmakers will present the unique and promising material which is on the way to become exclusive feature length documentaries. New doc projects from the Caucasus – Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – will also be a part of the pitching. Very intimate and personal stories, with close access to their characters, humour and pain, captured by a powerful cinematographic language will be seen in those promising film projects. And again – they all are a distinct reflection of the times we all are living in.”
The projects are:
A Picture to Remember by Olga Chernykh, Ukraine
Twice displaced by war, a pathologist mother and her daughter – originally from Donetsk – attempt to find something to hold onto in life in order to cope with recurring loss caused by war.
Children of Change by Alena Veras, Belarus
A film about the events in Belarus through the eyes of young people, who took to the streets to peacefully express their disagreement with the election results and had to grow up fast, faced with violence and lawlessness.
Company of Steel by Yulia Hontaruk, Ukraine
After enduring the horrors of the war in Eastern Ukraine since 2014, three young veterans return home. As they struggle to find their place in daily life as civilians, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 throws them right back into the trauma they have tried so hard to escape.
Displaced by Olya Zhurba, Ukraine
Sound-driven, immersive cinema where the body of war-torn Ukraine is the main character.
How to talk to Lydia? by Rusudan Gaprindashvili, Georgia
Linguistic and acoustic qualities of German speaking technology – a Warehouse AI system by the name of “Lydia” – feed the frustrations of everyday working life of migrant workers from Moldova.
I Made a Mistake When I Came Here by Kseniya Golubovich, Belarus
Due to the misleading promises by the president of Belarus, this film sees Kurdish refugees being trapped in a country where its own population are fleeing political repression and the consequences of the Ruso-Ukrainian war. A story of the clash of cultures where people facing the same problems attempt to help one another.
Little Red Riding Hood by Parvana Rahimova, Azerbaijan
Set in a village in the Greater Caucasus mountains, this film sees a strong 13 year old tomboy rebel against the patriarchal traditions of society, particularly forced upon her by her own grandmother.
Now We Live Here by Tatsiana Svirepa, Belarus
Nasta and Dasha are two well-known Belarusian feminists and grassroots activists. In this intimate documentary portrait we see a couple in love and in exile, trying to integrate into a new society, while maintaining the balance between their private and political lives.
Odyssey MD by Pavel Braila, Moldova
One country, one journey, one poetical logbook of Moldova – a country that for many people of the world probably didn’t exist, until Russia unfolded the war in Ukraine. Moldova, as the closest and most vulnerable neighbour of the armed conflict, started regularly appearing in the headlines of the world press.
Self-portrait along the borderline by Anna Dziapshipa, Georgia
Abandoned house in Abkhazia turns out to be a “rite of passage” that opens the door to revisit the past.
Silent Flood by Karina Kostyna, Ukraine
Set by a beautiful river canyon in Western Ukraine, a pacifist community with unique religious beliefs, sees their peaceful way of life gradually distressed by regular floods and eventually an unexpected war.
Sins of Shakespeare by Inna Sahakyan, Armenia
The daily strains of old age seem to fade as the residents of a retirement home in Armenia lose themselves in the timeless world of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
Strange Sea by Lala Aliyeva, Azerbaijan
A medley of a childish fantasy along with dreams and fears around the Caspian Sea explores the characters’ experience hinged on the Caspian’s status as an “Oil sea”
The event runs 09.30 to 13.00 and is followed by one-to-one meetings with financiers, sales representatives, distributors and festivals. For more information
