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Ukraine · 2021
2h 5m
Director Valentyn Vasyanovych
Starring Roman Lutskyi, Andriy Rymaruk, Nika Myslytska, Nadia Levchenko
Genre Drama
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In 2014, Ukrainian surgeon Serhiy enlists to fight Russian military forces in the Donbass region, where he is captured by enemy soldiers. Now a prisoner of war, Serhiy is forced to witness horrifying scenes of violence. After his release, he seeks to find new purpose in life and rebuild his relationship with his family.
Reflection is a great war drama for those who like slow cinema. It is also a contemplative experience for those who love a deep and multi-layered cinematic experience. It does not bombard the audience with anti-war propaganda; neither does it drive to a conclusion. It just paints a picture of the war and lets the audience reflect on it.
The New York Times by Ben Kenigsberg
It would be a bracing, haunting work even if it weren’t so timely.
Los Angeles Times by Noel Murray
This is a poignant and poetic film, where the strife just outside the characters’ little bubbles is ever-present and always visible.
Writer-director Valentyn Vasyanovych (“Atlantis,” “Black Level”) uses irony, horror and a sober-minded, unspoken acceptance of “this is the way our lives are now” to tell a quiet, harrowing story of one extended family’s experiences of the war.