W Ukrainie

In Ukraine
Bombed out streets, plywood boards instead of windows, destroyed Russian tanks. These are the recognisable signs of the Russian war on Ukraine, outward traces that are reproduced in the mass media. With these images as their starting point, the directorial team of Tomasz Wolski and Piotr Pawlus set out on a journey through Ukraine, from the cities in the west via Kyiv to Kharkiv. This route leads them deep into the experience of the war, from observing its consequences on the street to living it alongside Ukrainians. Sudden explosions near a bus stop, dinner in the bomb shelter in the repurposed Underground, hiding out with Ukrainian soldiers, cemeteries over which Ukrainian flags flutter like a thick grove of trees over fresh graves. Shot by shot, the directors substitute easy reproducible images that merely skim the surface of the war with a deep dive into the reality in which the country has been living since February 24, 2022. Ukraine’s sovereignty is even underscored in the film’s title, the proposition na (“on”), which has traditionally been used to refer to parts of former empires, being replaced with v (“in”) to underscore its independence as a state.
by Piotr Pawlus, Tomasz Wolski Poland / Germany 2023 Ukrainian, Russian 82’ Colour World premiere | Documentary Form

Crew

Directors Piotr Pawlus, Tomasz Wolski
Screenplay Piotr Pawlus, Tomasz Wolski
Cinematography Piotr Pawlus
Editing Tomasz Wolski
Sound Design Igor Kazmirchuk
Sound Piotr Piotr, Tomasz Wolski
Production Manager Anna Gawlita
Producer Anna Gawlita
Co-Producer Arek Gielnik
Co-Production INDI FILM Stuttgart, Deutschland

Piotr Pawlus

Born in Wadowice, Poland in 1985, he studied film, cinematography and screenwriting and also works as a cinematographer and director. W Ukrainie is his first feature-length work as a director.

Filmography

2019 Film dokumentalny (Documentary Film); 18 min. 2023 W Ukrainie (In Ukraine); co-directed by Tomasz Wolski, 80 min.

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023

Tomasz Wolski

Born in Gdynia, Poland in 1977, he earned a degree in film and took part in Berlinale Talents in 2005. Tomasz Wolski works as a director, author, film editor and cinematographer. His most recent film 1970 was invited to more than 50 festivals.

Filmography

2005 If I Were a Fish; 20 min. 2006 Klinika (The Clinic); 30 min. 2008 Zlota rybka (Goldfish); 28 min. 2009 Szczesciarze (The Lucky Ones); 27 min. 2010 Pomalu (Slowly); 30 min. · H2O; 8 min. 2011 Lekarze (The Doctors); 82 min. 2012 Palac (The Palace); 83 min. 2013 Nie dla kazdego; co-directed by Piotr Stasik, 28 min. 2015 Córka (Daughter); 25 min. 2017 Festiwal (Festival); co-directed by Anna Gawlita, 85 Min. 2020 An Ordinary Country; 53 min. · A Problem; 15 min. 2021 1970; 70 min. 2022 The Fence; 15 min. 2023 W Ukrainie (In Ukraine); co-directed by Piotr Pawlus, 80 min.

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023