Prague-based Filmotor Sales has acquired Ukrainian director Olha Zorba's “Songs of the Slowly Burning Earth” ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The documentary will screen out of competition in the Official Selection.
The film was described as “an audio-visual memoir of Ukraine's descent into the abyss of the first two years of full-scale Russian invasion,” according to a statement.[It] This work consists of incidental places and characters, rare dialogues, in-frame sounds, and moments of silence that capture the chronology of how war became normal. Against the backdrop of this (metaphysical) landscape of mass catastrophe, a new generation of Ukrainians looks to imagine the future.
Commenting on this, Michaela Chaykova of Filmmotor said: “I was immediately impressed by the film and its long, well-crafted cinematic sequences. It is a visually stunning piece of cinematography that offers a sublime view of the full-scale invasion, and gives us an acceptance of the reality and daily presence of war in the lives of Ukrainians both on the battlefield and in other parts of the country.
“The film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival is a great start for the film and we are confident of its success at the festival. The film was co-produced with ARTE France and has already been acquired by several other European broadcasters, including SVT and DR, and we believe it has the potential to attract even more buyers through video on demand and TV.”
“Songs of the Slow Burning Earth” was produced by Daria Basil for the Ukrainian production company Moon Man in collaboration with Anne Kohnke, co-founder of the six-time Oscar-nominated production company Final Cut for Real (“The Act of Killing,” “Flee”) in Denmark, Kirsten Obelaker for We Have a Plan (Sweden), ARTE France and Film i Skåne.
“This film has always been more than just a project for our team; it has been a lifeline for us,” Basil adds. “It has helped us stay sane, face the horror of our lives, and speak our truth. Since our first months of work, we have been fortunate to have amazing people and organizations join us and support us. I am especially pleased to announce our new partner, Michaela Tchaikova of Filmotor. Michaela truly understands the importance of this film as a delicate and profound work of art and a courageous statement about war.”
“Songs of the Slowly Burning Earth” is part of the Generation Ukraine initiative launched by ARTE Group with the aim of supporting Ukrainian filmmaking through the co-production of 12 documentaries.
Zorba's first film, Outside, premiered at CPH:DOX and Hot Docs in 2022 and won the Willy Brandt Prize at the Berlin Human Rights Film Festival and the Japan Honorary Award. She was also the editor of the documentaries This Rain Will Never Stop by Alina Horlova (2021) and Home Games by Alisa Kovalenko (2018).
