The documentary “The Rule of Two Walls” is a unique and refreshing study of Ukraine today, through the eyes of artists who have decided to defiantly stay and fight by continuing to make their art. Monument Releasing will open the film in New York on August 16 with a theatrical release in select cities before a digital release in November.
As their country descends into war, Ukrainian artists embark on a journey of faith, identity, and resistance in this urgent and moving cinematic journey from Ukrainian-American director David Gutnik (Materna, Tribeca 2020) and executive producer Liev Schreiber. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in Competition, where it was recognized with a Special Jury Mention for Human Rights and Artistic Expression. After touring major festivals around the world, Monument Releasing will open the film in New York at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema on Friday, August 16, 2024, with a select-city release.
Rule of Two Walls is an intimate look at the war in Ukraine, as seen through the eyes of Ukrainian artists who have remained in their country to make art as an act of defiance in the face of aggression. Using live music performance, painting, street art, and the act of filmmaking itself, the film illuminates the psychological front lines of war: how to go to a restaurant or bar amidst the din of air raid alerts and missile strikes; how to process, react, and resist, while still navigating the rhythms of daily life. By blurring the lines between what is seen in front of and behind the camera, the film explores what it means to make cinema in wartime.
Rule of Two Walls was written, directed and edited by David Gutnick. Producers: Olha Beskhmelynitsyna, Sam Bisbee, Stacey Rice. Cinematography: Volodymyr Ivanov, David Gutnick. Original music: Andrew Orkin. Executive producers: Liev Schreiber, Natalia Lippit, Lance Acord, Jason Weinberg, Brett Ettree, Jackie Bisbee, Michelle Bousso, Jill Elbaz. Associate producer: Emily McCann Lesser.
