Ukrainian and Polish films representing stories about Ukraine will compete for the Oscars 2025. Find out what these films are about and why they are important for world cinema

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In 2025, the Oscars will once again become a stage for international recognition of outstanding cinematic works from around the world. Among the contenders, films related to Ukraine will have a special place. Ukrainian and Polish cinema will be represented by films that address important topics of war, national identity and human experience in times of crisis. These films not only reflect the events of our time, but also draw attention to the difficult fate of people in the face of global upheaval.

We talked about 10 films for those who want to learn more about Ukraine in our previous article.

When is the Oscars 2025?

This year's Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025. The ceremony will be broadcast from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles by the American TV channel ABC. It will start at 19:00 (01:00 Kyiv time).

The ABC website also notes that the shortlist of films will be announced on December 17, 2024. Voting for the nominations will begin on January 8, 2025, and end on January 12, 2025.

The nominees will be announced on January 17, 2025, and the Academy members will vote for the winners of the nominations from February 11 to 18, 2025.

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The film La Palisade is Ukraine's choice for Oscar 2025

On September 9, the Ukrainian Oscar Committee chose Philip Sotnychenko's drama La Palisade to represent Ukraine at the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

By the way, among the candidates for the national selection, in addition to La Palisade, were:

– «Slovo» House: Unfinished Novel (dir. Taras Tomenko);

– We Were Recruits (dir. Lubomyr Levytskyi);

– Intercepted (dir. Oksana Karpovych).

However, La Palisade was recognized as the most worthy contender based on its unique cinematic language and important social context.

"The members of the Committee reviewed the submitted films in detail, and the discussion was heated and constructive. As a result of the voting, La Palisade was selected as a contender. We wish the representative every success in the Oscar race!" said Dmytro Sukholytkyi-Sobchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Oscar Committee.

As a reminder, the film 20 Days in Mariupol by Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov won the best documentary in 2024 and received an Oscar.

What is the movie about?

The film takes place in Ukraine in 1996, five months before the moratorium on the death penalty was introduced. The main characters are two old friends: a police detective and a forensic psychiatrist who are investigating the murder of their colleague. It is a deep drama about moral choices and justice.

It should be noted that La Palisade has already participated in many international festivals, such as the Rotterdam Film Festival and Kinokolo, and has won awards for best director and best film at several festivals.

The Ukrainian Oscar Committee recognized La Palisade as the most worthy contender based on its unique cinematic language and important social context.

Poland will present a film about a Ukrainian family at the Oscars 2025

Poland has also chosen its representative at the Oscars 2025 - the film “Under the Volcano” directed by Damian Kocur. It tells the story of a Ukrainian family at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. By the way, Ukrainian actors play the main roles in the movie. The world premiere of this film took place recently at the Toronto International Film Festival, and in Poland it will be shown at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia. The film has already received positive reviews due to its ascetic style and deep social and political implications.

What is the movie about?

“Under the Volcano” tells the story of a Ukrainian family who find themselves on vacation in Tenerife during the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The film has an expressive dramatic atmosphere and raises important topics such as war, migration and family conflicts in times of crisis.

According to the Polish Oscar Committee, the key to the film is the sense of despair and uncertainty that lead to the aggravation of internal conflicts and turn a personal drama into a universal story of human resilience and hope. The Polish Oscar Commission jury especially noted how the film raises contemporary issues and makes us think about the role of the individual in global events.

Documentaries about Ukraine for the Oscars 2025

Also, after the publication of long lists on the official website, it became known that other films about Ukraine and Ukrainians were also nominated. Among the contenders for the Oscars, the films will compete in various categories:

– «The Porcelain War» — which tells the story of three Ukrainian artists from Kharkiv who are engaged in porcelain animal art against the backdrop of war. This film reveals the fragility of art and the preservation of humanity under any conditions and in the most difficult times;

– «Intercepted» — a documentary based on intercepted conversations between russians and their families during the war, which explores the nature of russian imperialism and colonialism, as well as the role of propaganda in the war against Ukraine;

– «After the Rain: putin's Stolen Children Return Home» — a film by Canadian director Sarah McCarthy about Ukrainian children who were abducted by the russian occupiers. The film shows what Ukrainian families whose children were illegally deported by russia have to go through;

– «Rainbow: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World» — a documentary about the Ukrainian restaurant Veselka in New York and support for Ukraine. The film's director, Michael Fiore, noted that this is a movie about how families and communities come together through food and culture.

By the way, we have previously collected the top 9 books about the war in Ukraine, which will help you understand the realities of Ukrainians and the russian invasion.

We remind you! Ukrainian films not only reflect contemporary realities, but also show deep philosophical and human themes. The fall of 2024 promises to be a truly eventful year for fans of Ukrainian cinema. Read about the most anticipated Ukrainian films of this fall in our previous article.

Photo: LanKS

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