Porcelain War

A beautifully shot film exploring spaces of beauty within the confines of destruction. A story of love and art and survival. Anya's artwork is magical and magnificent, as is the cinematography. The natural beauty throughout Ukraine is stunning.

I pray Ukraine wins this war, but they have lost so much already. So tragic what the ego of men inflict upon the human condition. It made me realize my normal life could change at any moment. The WSJ did a feature on one of the cities they highlight in the film, Bakhmut, it's worth a look.

I hope all the people in this film will go on to live their regular lives very very soon.

It is worth a dear lot staying clear and pure in times like these.

People creating magnificent art of tender porcelain under bombs do not only create paradox - they demonstrate us that the paradox is quite possible if one gets out of his own small box and looks outside.

It turns out people still try to live their lives even being in grave daily danger, people still open their hearts to harmony and poetry of form and color.

The world is full of darkness and atrocities but yet it is a place of genuine beauty and remarkable resilience.

I dearly wish Slava and Anya as well as other Ukrainians overcome this wave of unspeakable blackness and their art will shine with even more colors.

The figurines are such a perfect manifestation of human spirit.

Thank you for capturing this on screen!

There couldn't be a greater contrast than porcelain and war. This award-winning documentary, made by artists turned warriors, shows this very clearly. Through their eyes we see the beauty of Ukraine and the horrors of war. These are not professional filmmakers. They took up film to tell their story amidst uncertainty and pain. The result is a true cinematic experience that is real in every way. One can hear their heartbeat, feel the fear, hope, and resilience. The film won the 2024 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and has just been nominated for the Oscar. Somehow they were able to keep the tenderness through all of it. It has to be the art.

The beautiful filming of nature is exquisite in this film as it is portrayed in the midst of a devastating war-zone. The families depicted in the film are warm, talented, compassionate and giving, yet they are living in a world of destruction, danger, fear and devastation. Finding hope in the middle of a desperate and almost hopeless situation shows the strength and determination of the Uranian people as they determinedly protect the homeland they love. The film left me with such anger that a larger threatening country can destroy lives of peaceful existence of kind, compassionate and good people and replace it with hatred, evil and selfishness. My heart is with the people of the Ukraine with hopes that they can hold on to their beloved land and restore life one day as it should be lived in all countries around the world.

One does not normally attend wartime documentary films with joyful anticipation, but this film has been so well designed and produced that you go for the sake of the art while possibly dreading the war part. No need to be anxious, because, In fact, both aspects are so beautifully filmed and well integrated that the war -- with all its closeup and graphic action -- is not offputting. Instead, the balance is just right and the message is unmistakable. Huge kudos to Dakha Brakha for enhancing the entire soundtrack with their powerful, inimitable gorgeous sound. Last but not least, as a professional translator I can say that the subtitles are flawless.