A film documenting the burial of executed Ukrainian civilians has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival program

‘Spring’, directed by Lithuanian filmmaker Rostyslav Kyrpychenko, was produced as a co-production between France, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The film will be screened in the Special Screenings section of the Cannes Film Festival

The film is set in the occupied Ukrainian territory, where Russian military forces ban the burial of executed Ukrainian civilians.

The protagonist of ‘Spring’ is Andrii, a 35-year-old priest who is forced to keep the bodies of the deceased in his church until they are taken to mass graves. Yet, Andrii chooses to resist — identifying the victims, bringing them back to their families, and ensuring they receive a dignified burial.

‘The threat intensifies as winter freezes the ground, making burials increasingly difficult. Andrii must choose whether to continue resisting at the cost of his faith, or die’, the synopsis reads.

Under these circumstances, the priest forms an unexpected bond with 11-year-old Makarov — ‘a witness to his defiance’.

The lead role is played by Lithuanian actor Kęstutis Cicėnas, who won the Silver Crane Award for Best Actor at the Lithuanian Film Awards in 2024.

Kyrpychenko was born in Lithuania and moved to Ukraine with his family at an early age. He played professional football there until ending his sports career in 2016 to attend the French film school La Fémis.

‘Spring’ is Rostyslav Kyrpychenko’s feature-length directorial debut.