The documentary ‘Porcelain War’ by American Brendan Bellomo and Kharkiv resident Slava Leontyev (one of the characters in the film) received an Oscar nomination in the Best Feature Documentary category. The film is a co-production between the United States, Ukraine, and Australia and was produced by the US based company Picturehouse
The main characters of the film are Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov, artists who were in Kharkiv when the full-scale invasion began and stayed to defend the city. Slava and Anya are ceramists, and Andrey is a painter. All three played significant roles in the creation of the film.
The narrative blends scenes of the artists’ civilian lives with footage of the ongoing war, including the Saigon Special Operations Forces unit, which Leontyev oversees as an instructor. The film also incorporates animated sequences, using patterns from Slava and Anya’s ceramic works to create visually dynamic elements.
Initially, Bellomo planned to produce a short animated film centered on Leontyev and Stasenko’s ceramic figures, which are well-known and popular in the US market. However, the project evolved into a full-length documentary.
The soundtrack for Bellomo and Leontyev’s work was composed by the band DakhaBrakha.
In 2024, the film won the Grand Prize in the US Documentary section at the Sundance Film Festival.
