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The Ukrainian documentaries “The Porcelain War” and “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine” have been shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards, the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Dec. 17.
“The Porcelain War,” directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, is among 15 films selected for the Documentary Feature Film category, chosen from a total of 169 eligible submissions. The film follows three artists who join the Ukrainian army during the war, while continuing to create porcelain figurines as an act of resistance.
In the Documentary Short Film category, “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine,” co-directed by Betsy West and Earl Mack and co-produced by Ukraine and the U.S., advanced to the shortlist. The documentary portrays war through the eyes of Ukrainian children and shows how they use creativity and imagination to cope with the hardships.
“La Palisade,” a film by Philip Sotnychenko, was nominated by the Ukrainian Oscar committee as Ukraine’s entry for Best International Feature Film, but it did not make the shortlist.
In 2024, the Ukrainian documentary “20 Days in Mariupol”, directed by Mstyslav Chernov, made history as the first Ukrainian film to win an Oscar, taking home the Best Documentary Feature award. The film also earned the BAFTA award for Best Documentary earlier that year.
The documentary recorded the Russian siege of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast from the perspective of Chernov and his crew during the first weeks of the full-scale invasion. The film comprises 30 hours of footage they shot in Mariupol amid the siege.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
