Porcelain War, In the Summers and Keepers – Awardsdaily

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One of the standout themes of this year’s Nantucket Film Festival was the large number of outstanding films still awaiting distribution—an unusually high number, it seems. Among them is Porcelain War, winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for documentary, a gripping film that follows a group of Ukrainian artists acting as civilian soldiers in the face of the Russian invasion of their homeland. Slava Leontyev and Anya Stasenko, talented ceramic artists, struggle through the devastation that has befallen their country over the past two years. Slava sculpts figures while Anya carefully paints them. Their creations reflect peace, nature, and folklore—art born of a desire to heal amidst turmoil. Yet fate demands that they divide their time between creating beauty and defending their beloved war-torn country. Their friend Andrey Stefanov, also an artist separated from his family, documents their lives during this turbulent time with extraordinary intimacy.

This poignant contrast is at the heart of Porcelain War. Her ceramics serve as a central metaphor, reflecting the film’s voiceover: “Ukraine is like porcelain—easy to break, but impossible to destroy.” We see her peaceful creations weakened by the ravages of war, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

The film vividly shows Slava training civilians and preparing for battle. When conflict erupts on screen, the intensity is palpable. We are immersed in the unit, experiencing ground-level perspectives and drone footage as they face off against Russian forces and bravely document the horrors of war.

What sets Porcelain War apart from other war documentaries is its intimate portrayal of three remarkable individuals facing unimaginable hardships. In one such moment, Slava and Anya walk through the forest with their dog Frodo – an ordinary scene that turns into a chilling search for hidden landmines.

Porcelain War masterfully illustrates the enduring power of art in the face of adversity. It tells an incredibly inspiring story of courage and resilience during a crisis, forcing viewers to rethink the transformative role of creativity in times of turmoil. It is a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who refuse to abandon their humanity even in the darkest of times.

The second film I watched was In the Summers, which won two awards at Sundance this year (Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic Film and Directing – Dramatic Film). Directed and written by Alessandra Lacorazza, her film debut, the film loosely draws on her childhood summers spent with her father in Colombia. The film is deeply personal and unsparingly portrays her father in a rather unfavorable light.

A quiet, slice-of-life, real-life coming-of-age story, In the Summers invites viewers to witness, as bystanders, the annual struggles of two sisters during their years-long visits with their ruthless father. However, this observational style becomes the main style of the film, resulting in a narrative that lacks a strong plot or a conclusive resolution. By the end, I was unsure of what the film was trying to bring, as it unfolds slowly and revisits the same themes of broken father-daughter relationships over and over again throughout its four parts.

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