Vladlena Sandu’s dramatic and poetic hybrid film Memory tells a deeply personal story of life during the Chechen war as neighbours are murdered, her family is targeted, and the capital Grozny is turned into a battlefield. It also seeks an answer to a fundamental question. How can the cycle of violence – that shapes the lives of children and is inevitably passed to the next generation – be broken?
At Visions du Réel, Sandu presented her project, with a proposed release date in May 2025, together with producer Yanna Buryak. The pair were looking to secure a sales agent and distributor, as well as meet festival programmers and partners for impact-driven distribution. They were also seeking an additional €135,000 to complete post-production in France and the Netherlands.
Sandu described her highly cinematic and lyrical autobiographical work in which she is portrayed by two Chechen child actresses.
“I was born in the Soviet Union, in Ukraine, in Crimea. After my parents divorced, I moved with my mom to Grozny, where I witnessed the last year of a Soviet school system [defined] by repression and propaganda. Then the collapse of the regime, and finally the brutal war against the Chechen people. The war lasted more than 10 years with over 500,000 people killed and over the million displaced. I lived through four years of war.”
“My mother was [gravely] wounded, I lost family and friends. This experience became the foundation of my memory. To this day, this war is not officially recognized in Russia, it’s still called a special anti-terrorist separation. That’s a lie. I’m a direct witness and it’s important for me to tell truth.”
Sandu explained how making the film has been a dangerous process. She and producer Buryak had to submit a fake script to the Russian Minister of Culture and later to the Chechen ministry. During filming in 2021, the pair were constantly monitored and were even reported to the police.
“Artistically, Memory is a hybrid film with theatrical storytelling and documentary voice-over,” she continued. “This choice is personal. My mother was an actress and I grew up in the theatre. Theatre is one of the film’s main character where scenes from my memory came to life.”
“Another key figure is King Kong,” she added. “As a child, I was punished for being left-handed, my hand tied to a chair for three years. I hated school and began skipping it to watch movies and cinema. Cinema became my safe space. King Kong was my imaginary friend and protector. He travelled with me for the film.”
The production has attracted wide funding so far, from the likes of Aide Au Cinéma Du Monde – CNC, France; NL Filmfonds, The Netherlands; Région Île De France; IDFA Bertha Fund; Dmitry Buriak, Ukraine; Mimesis, Russia; and Limitless, France.
“This project has been eight years in the making,” said producer Buryak. “We shot at factual locations of Lana’s life in Grozny, in Crimea, and partly in Moscow. We are now finally in post-production waiting for a definitive reply from what we hope will be our festival premier just one month away.” The remaining 25% of the budget she is looking to secure will cover the licensing of archival material and the use of popular music.“
“Memory asks, how does the circle of violence continue across generations? Using my family’s story, I’m exploring 100 years of drama,” Sandu signed off. “In today’s world in this humanitarian crisis, millions of children are growing up in war. My question is, how can we break this circle? How can we transform pain into peace? This film is my art therapy and my answer.”
