SFFILM Festival Encore: Porcelain War

2024 SFFILM Festival Encore at The Roxie

When the Russians invade Ukraine, husband-and-wife artists Slava and Anya, their faithful dog Frodo, and dear friend Andrey, seize their destiny as they choose to stay and fight. Setting aside their civilian life and past selves, Slava and Andrey join a special ops unit on the frontlines, while Anya makes delicate porcelain art amid constant bombardment. Made in partnership with US-based co-director Brendan Bellomo, these first- time film collaborators steel themselves against the atrocities of war by cherishing spring blossoms, lifelong friendships, and long walks through their beautiful, ravaged country. It is rare for a documentary to capture a war unfolding in real time with such lucidity, while also transcending the immediacy of violence to celebrate the indomitable power of the human spirit. Buoyed by a passion for living and charming animated sequences, this Sundance Documentary Grand Jury prize-winner vividly depicts the human need to create and compulsion to survive.

Director Brendan Bellomo

Brendan Bellomo (Director, Writer, Editor) was the recipient of a 2009 Student Academy Award® for Live Action Narrative. Bellomo’s passion for storytelling was first sparked when he was a child. Beginning his career in visual effects, he supervised the 2012 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner and Oscar® nominee for Best Picture Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight). Most recently, Bellomo was the executive producer on the Netflix Original Chupa.

Director Slava Leontyev

Slava Leontyev is a porcelain artist who makes his filmmaking debut with Porcelain War.