Match in a Haystack

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Alex K Beautifully shot! It documents a group of women dancers in Ukraine who created a performance during the war, highlighting a few of them and providing deeper glimpses into their lives and the context of the war. A lot of emotion and vulnerability captured in a very natural and non-invasive way. The cinematography is masterful, showing small details which people often notice in real life but which rarely gets attention in a typical movie. Beautifully shot dances. It felt as a very real and honest depiction of beautiful souls of these creative women. The main resulting performance was only shown indirectly, through glimpses of rehearsals, which was great - not a typical cheesy "happy end"! I liked the questions it raised - is it appropriate to create art during the war? And the answer voiced by one of the characters - yes, if you are following your calling, you are at the right place, especially during the war. Especially when it's hard. It becomes a form of resistance and a form of relief. Acts of creation to counter balance the acts of destruction. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/25 Full Review Samuel P R If all art is a form of prayer, this film is a testament to the power of the prayers of a dozen Ukrainian women and their pursuit of art in a time when war can lay claim to anything art can touch. The gorgeous cinematography brings us to a lone figure on a desolate landscape, trying to reconcile her artistic impulses with her sense of futility in the face of war. That same camera takes us right into the pulsing union of dancers together on stage, striving to integrate their individual efforts into a unified whole. The joy and the anguish that shape the art of Yuliia and Gala and their company of excellent young dancers, tempered by the difficulties of getting it right in the eyes of their exacting choreographer in time for a performance become tremendously compelling in this spellbinding documentary; when the camera captures the moments the dancers are visibly seized by the spirit of the dance, when music and sinew become one and the same, this movie climbs to the upper echelons of film's long history of love for the art of dance. What good are these small efforts, measured against the scale of the war that wages all around them? Mouse work, the soldier tells her dancer sister-- little by little, bit by bit, soldier and dancer alike can only do what they're capable of in the time that they have. A tiny match in a haystack can eventually burn bright enough to illuminate an entire world. The courage of these women collaborating in their pursuit of art during wartime is complemented by the bravery of the filmmakers, taking us inside the divine impulse that demands of mice to behave as lions; when artists connect with audiences through the forge of art, a single prayer can become a light for millions. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/17/25 Full Review Urs2u . A powerful and poetic tribute to resilience, Match in a Haystack captures the courage of Ukrainian dancers in a time of war. Stirring, intimate, and truly unforgettable. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/16/25 Full Review A B Truly a triumph - this was shot in an active war zone and shows the importance of creation even in a time of war. Well done to everyone involved. If you care about freedom, democracy, culture and art, you must see this film. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/26/25 Full Review Stephen C Real footage in 1 hour and 25 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/24/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Match in a Haystack

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