Is it a new, alternative, in-depth documentary about Ukraine? Is it a time travel movie of sorts, as its title suggests? Is it “an image of resistance and collective memory in which personal loss and political history become inseparable,” as one description states? Good, Time machine field It is all that – and more.
The film, which takes a first-person approach and was made with the aim of immersing audiences, comes from directors Romain Leuppi (War note, Iron butterfly(And Volodymyr Tykhi)One day in Ukraine, the Green jacket) and world premiere in Sheffield DocFest’s international competition lineup on June 11.
It builds a narrative bridge between the Maidan Revolution, also known as the Revolution of Dignity, which began in Ukraine in late 2013 and lasted until February 2014, to today’s war started by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Maidan Uprising, which broke out after President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon European Union membership in favor of closer relations with Russia, eventually led to his ouster.
The document is “Reinterpreting the Maidan Revolution through the Lens of the Present.” [the] “The experience of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” highlighted press notes. “The film creates a haunting bridge between the bloody confrontations of 2013 and the battlefields of today, where the Maidan stands as a pivotal moment in Ukraine’s modern history.”
As such, the film can be seen as a story of memory, courage, loss, and “humanity’s enduring need for peace, freedom, and the preservation of dignity in the face of oppression in all its forms,” as the creative team notes. “With no fixed camera to provide distance or comfort, it confronts the viewer directly, placing them in the middle of physical and emotional turmoil.”
The documentary does so through a wounded soldier, “suspended in a state of liminal consciousness,” who travels back in time to cold Kiev in December 2013. There, he begins a search for Maxim, a young poet and future warrior, also known as Dali, who knows he will die in Russia’s war. The time traveler hopes to warn him and save his life, but he is faced with a painful truth. “Freedom is not the ability to rewrite fate, but the courage to choose it,” the press notes explain.
“In this haunting and visually innovative documentary, a spectral voice drifts through time and memory to trace the Maidan revolution and the roots of resistance in Ukraine,” reads the synopsis published on the Sheffield festival’s website. “The Voice searches for Maxim, a friend and mentor who was killed in the war with Russia, and the grief of that loss pushes him backwards and forwards through time. Time machine field He weaves together archival footage and images from the site in a surreal, dream-like flow, crossing between the Maidan uprising, summer camp, and the shadows of the present war.
With cinematography by Yuri Gruzinov and editing by the directors, Time machine field It is executive produced by Babylon ’13’s Bohdanna Semen and produced by Andrii Kotliar, who also handles sales. Time machine field Babylon ’13 is produced in cooperation with Suspilne of Ukraine and co-produced by the German company Trimafilm.
“The film is a reflection of where we are now, where we were 10 years ago, and where we are going as individuals and as a nation,” highlights Lyoubi in a statement from the director. “The Square had many angles, and for my generation, the Square was like a club. All the people I was interested in were there. We spent nights there. I had a date in the Square. I met my wife through the Square. It was our youth. It’s not just a boring page from a history textbook.”
He explains: “I felt the need to make a film dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity. The Maidan Revolution determined the entire course of our history – and the history of the world as well -. There is still no suitable film that I can show my daughter about the Maidan.”
Tykhi shares: “What we witnessed during the first months of Ukraine’s defense, especially in the battles on the outskirts of Kiev, was, in many ways, a direct continuation of the ‘Maidan Initiative’: horizontal networks, self-organization, and the building of fortifications by ordinary citizens with their own hands. This was an effective form of resistance that helped stop the enemy. In the first months of the total war, this ‘Maidan Spirit’ became a decisive factor in Ukraine’s ability to hold out.” Defense.”
He emphasizes: “Our film is directed primarily at young people. During the Maidan, they were children or teenagers. Today, there is a deep social and cultural need for self-understanding. Ukrainian youth need access to an authentic history, rather than censored narratives or concepts that have been shaped for decades under the influence of Russian myth-making. The film seeks to answer a fundamental question: ‘Who are we, as Ukrainians?’
I can’t wait to get my first glimpse at the sights and sounds Time machine field? THR The trailer for the doc can be viewed exclusively below. Prepare to travel through time through chaos and taste the spirit of resistance for the first time! Prepare for Time machine field!
