SILENT FLOOD

SYNOPSIS

A pacifist community with unique religious beliefs, living in a picturesque river canyon in western Ukraine, is seeing their peaceful way of life gradually eroded. This closed religious community, located on the banks of the Dniester River, lives by its own strict rules, cut off from the outside world. For example, they do not use electricity or modern medicine, they do not marry outside the community, they do not join the army and they do not take up arms.

The community’s attempts to distance themselves from the outside world are often disrupted by the annual floods that take everything in their path and change the landscape of the rural shores.

As an even more devastating “flood” approaches Ukraine, the war with Russia leaves the community with no choice but to unite and ignore their beliefs, and the villagers gradually begin to go against their own rules, joining with the outside world to help in the fight against the enemy.

CONTACT

AMOUNT OF THE SUPPORT FOR FINALISATION: 50 000 €

Date of the decision : May 7th 2024

THE DIRECTOR

In 2013, Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk graduated from Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television. He participated in the Berlinale Talent Campus and Locarno Film Academy, and he received a scholarship from the program of the Minister of Culture of Poland “Gaude Polonia”. He is a Member of European Film Academy, Ukrainian Film Academy as well as Member of Ukrainian Oscar Committee.

His debut short film Weightlifter received Drama Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards 2019. «Weightlifter» received 24 prizes and more than 60 official selections in different film festivals and was bought by ARTE. His debut feature film Pamfir was selected at the Cinéfondation – The Résidence in 2019 and was developed in TorinoFilmLab. It premiered in 2022 at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section and was nominated for the Golden Camera. At the Ukrainian Film Critics Awards, the feature won five awards including Best director, Best screenplay, Best feature film.