The Odessa Film Festival will screen 12 films out of competition

The Odessa International Film Festival has unveiled its program of special screenings—a selection of films that offer different perspectives on people, culture, and time. The films will be shown outside the competition program.

This was announced by the Odessa International Film Festival’s press office.

The selection includes the story of a Polish family haunted by the ghosts of the past, Kyiv mythology, the life of ballet master Serhiy Lifar, the films of French director Éric Rohmer, and the experiences of people caught in the midst of war.

Several films are dedicated to Ukrainians defending their country against a full-scale invasion.

The Ukrainian documentary *The Main Character*, directed by Myron Latyk, tells the story of five actors who left the stage to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The camera shows how people in the creative professions adapt to an environment where every decision has irreversible consequences.

The American film “Standing Against Oblivion” was shot over three and a half years on the front lines in Ukraine. It tells the story of seven ordinary Ukrainians who volunteered to defend their country after 2022.

The Colombian-Ukrainian film “Behind the Scenes of War” depicts the transformation of former Colombian military personnel who joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces—from foreign volunteers to fighters in one of the most complex conflicts of our time. The film also documents the creation of the Spanish-speaking “Guajiro” unit, which later became the core of the “Charter” Brigade’s international battalion.

The Polish-Ukrainian documentary “Let’s Go Home” is a portrait of a civilian father who, after the war began, was forced to rethink his role between home and the front lines.

The documentary “The Artist’s Case: Serhiy Lifar” explores the life of the legendary Kyiv ballet master, shrouded in mystery—particularly regarding his possible collaboration with the Nazis during the occupation of Paris.

The French documentary “Éric Rohmer: The Spirit of Childhood” reveals the creative method of the “New Wave” director through film clips, rare interviews, and previously unseen outtakes.

The film “EuroKryvbas” —a sequel to “EuroDonbas”—explores the contributions of Belgian, French, British, German, and Polish entrepreneurs and engineers to the development of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Kamianske.

A classic of Polish cinema is Andrzej Wajda’s 1972 film “The Wedding” —a film adaptation of a national classic released to mark the director’s anniversary, in which ghosts of the past appear at the wedding of a Krakow intellectual and a peasant girl.

The film adaptation of Grzegorz Jarzyna’s legendary stage play*Everything Is Fine* will be screened to mark the Kyiv premiere of his new production, *KASS_ANDRA*. The story unfolds in a poor Warsaw apartment inhabited by three generations of women from the same family.

The Polish film *The Forest* by Joanna Zastruzhna transports the protagonist into the realm of dreams, where every decision boils down to the essence of choice. Pascal Bonitzer’s French film “Victor, Like Everyone Else (Hugo)” was inspired by the work of Victor Hugo—it tells the story of an actor searching for his place between the stage and his personal life.

Dmytro Avdeev’s Ukrainian film *Khreshchatyk 48/2* transports the viewer into the world of Kyiv mythology: a teenager named Yurko discovers a secret entrance to the Office of the Otherworld, which has existed since the year 482, and must stop an ancient goddess of death.

Recently, the Odessa International Film Festival was criticized on social media for not returning to Odessa. In response, the OIFF began to defend itself.

Ірина Глухова