Documentary specialist Cinephil has acquired international sales rights to the feature-length documentary “Victor,” which will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival’s Platform program next month.
The film is directed and produced by French director and cinematographer Olivier Sarpell, who won Emmys for “Retrograde” and “Mosul”, and a Royal Television Society Award for “On the President's Orders”. Darren Aronofsky is also producing the film.
In Victor, Viktor Korotovsky, a deaf young man living in Kharkov, warily watches the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai movies and raised on war stories, he dreams of becoming a warrior, but his attempts to join the army are repeatedly rejected. Desperate for purpose, Viktor embarks on a quest to find his place in the midst of a war he cannot hear.
“I hope this film transcends language barriers and sparks conversations around the world about our shared humanity,” Sarpell said. “It is a testament to how embracing our differences can open the door to profound purpose and fulfillment.”
“What makes documentary powerful is its ability to cultivate empathy, so that we can truly immerse ourselves in the experience of others. This is a multi-layered art form that Olivier and his incredible team have achieved with Victor. The seamless blend of cinematic experience combined with the poignant lens of war allows us to discover a new kind of symphony of storytelling on the big screen,” said Shoshi Korman and Susan Nodal, co-managing directors of Cineville.
Victor is produced by Sarbell, Aronofsky, Dylan Golden, Brendan Naylor, Sigrid Dijkjaer and Philippe Levasseur. The film is a co-production between Protozoa Pictures and Real Lava with support from Impact Partners and Time Studios.
Executive producers include Ari Handel, Romaine Pesce, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White-Dreyfuss, Meadow Fund, Mike Beck, Lauren Hammonds, Maria Antipenko, Ilya Kaminsky, and Lani Levine. Co-executive producers include Lauren Haber, Kelsey Koenig, Jennifer Billing, Marnie E.J. Grossman, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Lynn Benioff, Dave O'Connor, Kyle Hentschel, and Michael Erlinger.
Sarpil also served as director of photography, and the film was edited by Atanas Georgiev. Sound design was provided by Peter Albrechtsen, Nicholas Becker, who won an Academy Award for Sound of Metal, and Heikki Kosi, with music by the band Disasterpeace.
