Kyiv Critics’ Week X NL is back
A curated showcase of Ukraine’s most compelling films, exploring the theme ‘Away from Home’
Launched as an initiative of De Balie, the second edition of Kyiv Critics’ Week x NL will take place in three cities – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. From May 9 to May 11, we will showcase a curated selection of Ukraine’s finest cinema, ranging from contemporary festival hits to overlooked gems.
Under the theme ‘Away From Home’, Kyiv Critics’ Week x NL will feature five Ukrainian feature films and a short film program. Each film explores the theme of migration in its own way—a topic that runs like a common thread through Ukrainian history and, consequently, through its cinema. The most recent example being the wave of migration following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv Critics’ Week x NL presents both contemporary films and lesser-known classics. Films such as Grey Bees (2024) and U Are the Universe (2024) have been widely discussed and celebrated at recent major film festivals. Stone Cross (1968), on the other hand, stands out as a landmark of Ukrainian poetic cinema – an expressive and surrealist school of filmmaking that emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the dominant socialist realist cinema of the Soviet Union.
All the films in the festival have been selected in collaboration with Ukrainian film critics, placing a strong emphasis on cinematic quality, says Stefan Malešević, film curator at De Balie. “After each screening, a Ukrainian and a Dutch film critic engage in a conversation, reflecting on the film from their different backgrounds and film cultures.”
For the adventurous viewer seeking a unique experience, Malešević recommends Fuchzhou (1993). This quirky genre film by director Mykhailo Illenko (son of Ukrainian master filmmaker Yurii Illenko) was made during the period following the fall of the Soviet Union, when Ukraine gained independence. At the same time, cinema itself was undergoing a transformation – from analog to digital.
The chaos and experimentation of this period is mirrored in the film. It’s difficult to compare it to anything, or even to analyse it. Let’s just say that concepts like time and space are treated with great liberty.
Stefan Malešević, film curator at De Balie
Another highlight is Fragments of Ice (2024), a documentary composed entirely of VHS archive footage that portrays the lives of two Soviet figure skaters. The screening will be accompanied by a live performance from the Ukrainian International Ballet.
May 9 – May 11: The best of Ukrainian cinema to local audiences, selected and presented by Ukrainian film critics
From May 9 till May 11, Kyiv Critics’ Week x NL showcases the best of Ukrainian cinema, selected and presented by Ukrainian film critics Daria Badior, Hanna Datsiuk and Serhii Ksaverov. Since February 2022, when Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 6 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes.
Fuchzhou
VR 9 MEI / 20:00
Determined to be reunited with his beloved, Orest embarks on a journey through extraordinary events.
Grey Bees
Grey Bees is not about battlefield action but about those trappedin a place they cannot leave – home that has been long gone.
Hannah Datsiuk, film critic
U Are the Universe
Offbeat and, dare I say, distincly Ukrainian cinematic space journey
Serhii Ksaverov, film critic
Stone Cross
Beautifully shot, rich in symbolism, and depicting the harsh realities of village life, it is considered one of the cornerstones of the Ukrainian cinematic canon.
Daria Badior, film critic
Fragments of Ice
Fragments of Ice is a documentary essay woven from a rare family VHS archive of a Soviet Ukrainian Ballet on Ice star.