Reflection

Masterfully written, directed and shot by Valentyn Vasyanovych, Reflection is an extraordinary and profound meditation on the effects of war. Ukrainian surgeon Serhiy is forced to witness unspeakable horrors whilst captured by the Russian military forces in the conflict zone in Eastern Ukraine. After his release, he returns to his comfortable middle-class apartment and tries to find a purpose in life by rebuilding his relationship with his daughter and ex-wife. Serhiy must overcome his past trauma and learn how to be a human being again.

‘Unlike in most countries, our veterans don’t really exist in the social sphere. There aren’t any rehabilitation programmes and no infrastructure to help them out. Most of them struggle with PTSD but no one provides them with professional help, which leads to a high rate of suicides. It’s a very “inconvenient” topic for all of us in Ukraine. In Reflection, I decided to concentrate also on former prisoners. Maybe it’s hard to imagine but today, in the 21st century, in the middle of Donetsk there is this huge political prison called “Isolation”. Ironically enough, it used to be the centre of contemporary art. Once the war started, Russian special troops turned it into a concentration camp, which is still operational. What Happens there is unimaginable.’

Valentyn Vasyanovych, Director