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Ukrainian documentary 'Porcelain War' nominated for Oscar

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Ukrainian documentary 'Porcelain War' nominated for Oscar
Directors (L-R) Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev hold the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary for their film Porcelain War during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Awards at The Ray on Jan. 26, 2024 in Park City, Utah. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

The Ukrainian documentary "Porcelain War" has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Jan. 23.

Directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, the film tells the story of three Kharkiv artists who joined the Ukrainian army while continuing to create porcelain figurines as an act of cultural resistance during Russia's full-scale invasion.

The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Independent Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix in the documentary competition, and has since earned 45 awards and 31 nominations, including recognition from the U.S. Directors Guild Award.

This marks the second consecutive year a Ukrainian documentary has been nominated for an Oscar. In 2024, Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov's "20 Days in Mariupol" made history as the first Ukrainian film to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

The film, shot during the Russian siege of Mariupol, comprised 30 hours of raw footage documenting the city's destruction and the human suffering caused by the invasion.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

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Tim Zadorozhnyy is a reporter at The Kyiv Independent, covering foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations and European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa, working there for two years from the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. After relocating to Warsaw, he spent a year and a half at the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, initially as a news anchor and later as managing editor.

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