Porcelain War

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2:15

Porcelain War

R

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1h 27m

Documentary

War

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Popcornmeter

94%

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36 Reviews

100%

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50+ Ratings

Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present and hope for the future. Co-directed by Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo, with extraordinary footage from first-time cinematographer Stefanov, Porcelain War embodies the passion and fight, that only an artist can put back into the world when it's crumbling around them.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It's breathtaking.

Jan 17, 2025

Full Review

Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

The war footage is quite extraordinary... The structure of the film is a bit ungainly, but under the circumstances it's easy to see why.

Jan 17, 2025

Full Review

Peter Sobczynski

RogerEbert.com

By sticking to the more feel-good aspects—as feel-good as one can get, given the subject—and refusing to truly grapple with some of the more complex and troubling issues it hints at, it misses the chance to transform into something far more meaningful.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 3, 2025

Full Review

Sean P. Means

The Movie Cricket

A sharp reminder that wars are fought by armies, but the living and dying is done by people just like us.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 18, 2025

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

The film is an immediate and gripping look at life during wartime, thanks to remarkable, on-the-ground footage shot by Stefanov, a first-time cinematographer.

Jan 17, 2025

Full Review

Toba Singer

culturevulture.net

The camera shows us how art and self-defense come together among artists and their neighbors.

Jan 6, 2025

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Ember’s Mom

The movie was great. AMC Southdale 16, the theater, sucked. My chair didn’t work. The sound system didn’t work super well. It’s a testament to how good this movie is that I was able to tolerate this BS and enjoy the great movie. Slava Ukraini!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

Roxy

Powerful and poignant

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

Lynne W

Beautiful, soulful and gut wrenching film

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

Veronica

A truly exceptional documentary--one would not expect a documentary about the war in Ukraine to be so beautifully filmed and uplifting. A reminder of the creative spirit and art's essential connection to humanity.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

Eric G

A very thoughtful documentary on what the current war in the Ukraine is affecting not only to its people, but to the country as a whole. I thought it was very well done.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/06/25

Full Review

David

Absolutely astounding filmmaking and storytelling!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

Full Review

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Brendan Bellomo

Director

Slava Leontyev

Director

Slava Leontyev

Self

Anya Stasenko

Self

Andrey Stefanov

Self

Aniela Sidorska

Screenwriter

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Porcelain War: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present and hope for the future. Co-directed by Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo, with extraordinary footage from first-time cinematographer Stefanov, Porcelain War embodies the passion and fight, that only an artist can put back into the world when it's crumbling around them.

Director: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev
Producer: Aniela Sidorska, Paula Dupré Pesmen, Camilla Mazzaferro, Olivia Ahnemann
Screenwriter: Aniela Sidorska, Brendan Bellomo, Paula Dupré Pesmen
Distributor: Picturehouse
Production Co: FINCH NO WORRIES
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Documentary, War
Original Language: Ukrainian
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 22, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 27m