Friday, March 14 / 9:00 pm / Ottawa Art Gallery

Program: Short Film (TBA), Honeymoon

Feature presentation \

Zhanna Ozirna’s stirring first feature takes place in a small town next to Kyiv on February 23, 2022, the day after the Russian invasion began. Thirty-somethings Taras and Olya have just spent their first night together in their new apartment. At dawn, they are woken up by explosions. Having failed to leave the town in time, they suddenly find themselves trapped behind enemy lines. Outside, Russian troops arrange temporary headquarters on the grounds of the couple’s residential complex. Taras and Olya are now stranded in their apartment with no electricity, water, or mobile phone connection. They can’t even be sure if Ukraine still exists. For the next five days, they will face the ultimate existential questions while trying to hide, to plan their escape, and to believe that a future for them is still possible. One of the few fiction films made in Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, this compelling, courageous debut feature had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2024

- Tom McSorley

Short film \

Zoé

2024 / 16 minutes / Quebec
Director: Rémi St-Michel
Language: French

Zoé is a captive zombie, whose vague memories of the past motivate her desire for freedom.