Porcelain War

Porcelain War is a 2024 documentary film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev following the experience of Ukrainian artists as they face the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It won the 2024 Sundance Festival Documentary Grand Jury Prize.

Premise
Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for the future.

Production
Filming began in early 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. The subjects filmed themselves, capturing over 500 hours of footage. Porcelain War was captured on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, Sony FX30, DJI Mavic aerial drones and GoPro Hero 11 Black action cameras mounted to the bodies of Special Forces soldiers. The film was photographed using natural light. Editing took place in Los Angeles, CA and Sydney, Australia. Animated sequences were designed by BluBlu Studios in Warsaw, Poland. The team worked for over one year to create the animated scenes.

Release
The film won the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. documentary category at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Bellomo, who co-directed the film along with Leontyev, explained “This award is because of the bravery of the people of Ukraine. And this award is for the beauty of the people of Ukraine.” The film was also sponsored by the Utah Film Center.

Reception
Porcelain War premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah to an eight-minute standing ovation.

The Wrap's William Bibbiani remarked, The depth comes from the rejection of violence, and the determination to overcome its consequences and create powerful art, regardless of the circumstances surrounding its genesis.

“Porcelain War” does what it sets out to do, immersing us in a nightmare ordeal but surrounding us with wonderful figures: most of them human, some of them porcelain, and one a very cute dog. It captures moments of decency, moments of wickedness, and a larger political conflict from a perspective anyone can wrap their heads around, no matter where they are or how much they know about it. It doesn’t seem nearly as fragile as Leontyev and Stasenko’s porcelain figures. It’s the audience that’s likely to shatter. Writing for Canada's POV Magazine, Courtney Small said the war footage in Porcelain War, "walks a fine line between praising the resilience of Leontyev's people and serving as a propaganda tool for the Ukrainian army." He further writes that the film is more interesting when it focuses not on the war itself but on its everyday impact on the people. And finally, "A visually vibrant work, one that strategically incorporates animations to convey the horrors of the past, Bellomo and Leontyev capture both the horrors of war and the beauty of nature with equal measure. Similar to the material itself, Porcelain War shows the fragility and strength of the human spirit."Fionnuala Halligan of Screen Daily said, "Cinematic essays take many forms: few are as fragile and contemplative as Porcelain War; all the more remarkable for the fact that Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s documentary observes the outbreak of war in Ukraine and its immediate aftermath during which Slava, an artisan porcelain maker, is seconded to train young recruits on how to use assault weaponry. Yet as his partner Anya Stasenko paints – and animates – their beautiful, ethereal, translucent objets, there is a sense of enduring beauty to fight for."Ryan Painter from KFOX14 stated,"I don’t know the right words to describe Andrey, Slava and Anya’s determination to survive. 'Resiliency” isn’t strong enough, but it will have to do. Like “20 Days in Mariupol,” “Porcelain War” needs to be seen. It is far too easy to dehumanize strangers. After watching the film, Andrey, Slava and Anya will be strangers no more."