Picturehouse has acquired North American rights to Porcelain War, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. The film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev will be released in theaters throughout North America in the fall, in advance of an expected Oscar run.
“Porcelain War is the story of three Ukrainian artists defiantly finding inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country against Russian aggression,” notes a release. “In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov, choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, guns. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for the future.”
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Picturehouse CEO Bob Berney said in a statement, “The resiliency of art and artists is brought into sharp focus in this beautiful and terrifying documentary. The fascinating display of technique and success in both art and warfare is eloquently drawn by the filmmakers. Audiences will respond to their personal story and patriotism when life is turned upside down.”
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Following its triumphant bow at Sundance, Porcelain War has gone on to win best documentary awards at the Seattle International Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, Boulder International Film Festival, and the Bali International Film Festival, and additional prizes at the Sydney Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, and the Woods Hole Film Festival where it won the Best of Fest Audience Award.
“Porcelain War is a story far bigger than Ukraine, it’s an unforgettable story about all of us. It’s about the human need to create, to restore meaning and beauty in the darkest of times,” said co-director Slava Leontyev. His fellow director Brendan Bellomo added, “The unlikely filmmakers – who are also the film’s subjects – captured a stunning tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. They embody the passion and fight that only artists can put back into the world when it’s crumbling around them. We are thrilled to partner with Picturehouse in sharing this incredible story with audiences.”
In an interview with Deadline at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Leontyev told us why he has taken up arms in defense of his country while simultaneously pursuing his art. “We fight exactly for that — so that our culture continues to exist, that our art continues to exist, that Ukraine continues to exist, and that’s exactly what we’re fighting for, and I think we’re good at this,” he explained. “Our fighters of Saigon unit, they’re all civilians in life. They all have civilian professions, and none of them wants to fight a single extra minute to remain in the military. Yes, that’s exactly what I love about porcelain, and that’s exactly what I love about Ukraine. Yes, you can break us, but you cannot destroy us.”
Porcelain War is a FINCH NO WORRIES production, in association with Imaginary Lane, Far Star Media, Bob’s Your Uncle, Sobrato Philanthropies, and Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation. Producers are Paula DuPre’ Pesmen (Oscar-winner The Cove), Aniela Sidorska, Camilla Mazzaferro, and Olivia Ahnemann. Executive Producers include Alan Hicks, Luke Mazzaferro, Rob Galluzzo, Linda A. Cornfield, David J. Cornfield, Sheri Sobrato, Jeffrey Sobrato, Lisa Sobrato Sonsini, Andrea Cayton, Garrett Cayton, Ginny Jordan, Georgia Welles, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, James Balog, Joe Barnathan, Kevin Marciano and John Schmidt. Co-Executive Producers are Amy Carpenter, Steve Carpenter, Robin Chesler, Marsha Garces Williams. Cinematography is by Andrey Stefanov. Music by the Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha.
Submarine, which represents the film, will collaborate with Picturehouse on the distribution of the film in North America. Public relations is managed by Nancy Willen at Acme PR.
In its citation to Porcelain War for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, jurors wrote: “Resisting totalitarian aggression is necessary, but holding onto your humanity amid the onslaught is the ultimate pursuit of good. The making of this film — a film full of pathos and violence, porcini and dragonlets — is in and of itself this pursuit.
“For its unwavering voice from inside the brutal war in Ukraine calling us to care about those who would sacrifice their lives to defend their humanity and ours, and since at present there is no Sundance Jury Award for best dog, the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary goes to Porcelain War.”