Description
Trailer
Synopsis
Set in July 1941 in the occupied city of Vinnytsia, the film tells the story of a community on the brink of annihilation. Those who could not escape face unimaginable danger, and the Jewish population bears the harshest burden. Amidst the terror, small acts of courage shine through, like the story of young Sioma, a little boy saved by the bravery and compassion of his neighbor Marusya.
Based on the harrowing memories recorded in V. Ya. Kulikov’s book Occupation, the film captures both the horrors of war and the resilience of the human spirit.
Director
Valery Shalyga
Born June 23, 1963, is a Ukrainian film director and actor whose career spans feature films, short films, and television series. He began with the short film Try plachi nad Stepanom (1993, Dovzhenko Film Studio) and directed his first feature, Fatalna pomylka (2002, Vinnytsya Television Company), followed by Hear a Shot from Afar (2005, Ishtar Studio). He contributed to television projects such as Povernennia Mukhtara (2005–2008) and Za vse tobi dyakuiu (2006, 24 episodes), as well as historical series including 1941 (12 episodes, 2009), 1942 (16 episodes, 2010), and 1943 (16 episodes, 2013), all for PRO-TV. His short films Yes, I’ll Go and Mushrooms (2011, part of the Ukraine, Good-bye project, ProntoFilm) screened at the River Film Festival in Padua, Kinolev International Festival of Independent Cinema, and the Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist. Later works include Vacation Savage (2016) and Keep at Heart (2017, SwitVideo Production), and his 2020 feature Echoing (Vinnytsia Crossroad Production).
