REAL

SYNOPSIS

During one of the intense battles, when Russians hit Oleh’s car, he quickly got to the closest trench. From there, he was trying to organize via a walkie-talkie the evacuation of the unit part stuck in the encirclement with depleted ammunition. This critical situation unfolded in a position with the code name Real. Amidst the chaos, Oleh managed to record 75 minutes of footage, providing a raw and authentic portrayal of the true nature of war.

AMOUNT OF THE SUPPORT FOR FINALISATION: 28 160 €

Date of the decision : December 11th 2023

Oleh Sentsov was born on 13 July 1976 in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine. Gamer, Oleh’s first feature, debuted at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2012 and participated at more than 30 international film festivals afterwards. In 2013, Sentsov became an activist of “AutoMaidan” and during the 2014 Crimean crisis he helped Ukrainian military servicemen trapped in their Crimean bases. Sentsov stated that he did not recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea: he was arrested by the FSB, charged with planning terrorist attacks and brought to Moscow. Despite a complete lack of evidence, he was unlawfully sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, giving rise to a global campaign for his release.
Sentsov was serving his term in the Labytnangi Penal Colony in the North of Russia. In 2018, he received the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, before being finally released on September 7, 2019. His film Numbers (2020), directed remotely, was co-directed by Akhtem Seitablaev. The film was shown for the first time as part of special screenings dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Berlin International Film Festival. The world premiere of Oleh’s next film Rhino took place in Orrizonti section of Venice IFF, won Grand-Prix of Stockholm IFF and was released in 20 territories.

FESTIVALS

• Karlovy Vary IFF 2024: Special screening (world premiere)