According to Screen Daily, U.S. distributor Film Movement bought the screen rights to Ukrainian director Valentyn Vasyanovych’s film «Reflection» in the United States. Beginning May 6, the film will be released in U.S. cinemas and on some online platforms, and it will be uploaded to streaming services after distribution.
Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated by the distributor to charitable organizations that help Ukrainians.
The events of «Reflection» are set in eastern Ukraine and tell the story of a military surgeon captured by pro-russian militants. The man is tortured in Izolyatsia prison, while he is trying to help the Ukrainian military. The man returns home after his release, lives comfortably again, builds a relationship with his daughter, and looks for new goals in life.
Director Valentyn Vasyanovych: «No film can prepare for the level of cruelty in Bucha»
«The current crisis in Ukraine and the atrocities we hear about every day are almost unimaginable to those who do not face the horrors of war. Valentin, one of Ukraine’s most talented filmmakers, shows painful and debilitating reflections on war and survival in a film that audiences will not soon forget», Film Movement president Michael Rosenberg commented.
The world premiere took place in the main competition program at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021. The Ukrainian premiere is scheduled for autumn 2022.
The main role was played by Roman Lutskyi («The Stronghold», «The Inglorious Serfs», «Viddana»). The film also starred Nadiya Levchenko («Sex, Insta i ZNO»), Andriy Rymaruk («Atlantis») and Nika Myslytska, the daughter of Valentyn Vasyanovych.
Earlier Film Movement acquired a number of Ukrainian films for screening in the United States. Among them are «Donbass» by Serhiy Loznytsya, «Bad Roads» by Natalya Vorozhbyt and «The Earth Is Blue as an Orange» by Iryna Tsilyk, which is scheduled to premiere on April 22.
Vasyanovych presented his previous film, «Atlantis», at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. The film won in the second most important «Horizons» section.
«Atlantis» tells of a world in 2025 in which Ukraine defeated russia and regained the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which had experienced an environmental disaster.
In 2020, the film was nominated for «Oscar 2021» as a national contender in the «Best International Feature Film» category.
