Teaser of Ukrainian film The Editorial Office, which will premiere at Berlinale 2024
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The Ukrainian film The Editorial Office, directed by Roman Bondarchuk, creator of films including Volcano and Ukrainian Sheriffs, will take part in the Forum competition program of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival from Jan. 15 to 25.
In mid-January, it became known that The Editorial Office would be screened at the festival, along with two other Ukrainian films.
The teaser included a scene that was filmed in the Oleshky Sands Nature Reserve in Kherson Oblast, which has been under Russian occupation since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The reserve is part of the Emerald Network of Europe, a network of protected areas created to preserve species and ecosystems.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, the reserve was on the edge of flooding. Intense fighting is now taking place around it.
In the film, the protagonist witnesses a forest being set on fire. He takes the photos and an article about the arsonists to his local newspaper, but the editorial office is not interested in protecting nature or ensuring justice.
The scientist's innocent vision of the world collapses in a world of fake news, corruption schemes, and rigged elections. Finding himself in the center of a mysterious ritual conducted by local officials, the hero must find out who he is - one of the few “real men” remaining in the world, or an ordinary loser?
"For the entire film crew, The Editorial Office is more than just a movie. It is a special experience that tested the limits of our capabilities and changed our lives. By editing it, we returned to our home towns, many of which are now under occupation, many of which are destroyed, and the memory of them exists only on the screen. I am grateful that the film was met by like-minded people on the Berlinale team. I am glad that the world premiere will take place with their authoritative support and guidance, in front of the best film professionals, critics and audiences from all over the world. For us, it is also an opportunity to talk about Ukraine, to remind people of the need to support our struggle at one of the most influential film festivals in the world,” Bondarchuk explained.
During the ongoing war, many of the film’s actors and crew members have taken up arms in defense of their country. Some of them remain in active service, while some have unfortunately been killed in battle.
As Roman Bondarchuk told Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, the film's team plans to hold a photo exhibition at the Berlinale that will "give viewers a better understanding of Kherson Oblast, the characters in the film, and the locations depicted in it, some of which are now either destroyed or occupied by the Russians."
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