"It's a bit of a testament to how embracing our own differences can really unlock profound fulfillment and purpose," filmmaker Olivier Sarbil said
Elisabetta Bianchini
Fri, September 13, 2024
Viktor (Courtesy of TIFF)
Filmmaker and veteran war photographer Olivier Sarbil gave us one of the most uniquely impactful films at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with Viktor. With Darren Aronofsky among the film's producers, the documentary is set amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the focus on the life of a Deaf Ukrainian man who has a desire to help defend his country.
"More than 10 years ago I was wounded during the war in Libya and I lost half of my hearing on my right side, and I think it really reshaped the way I understand the world," Sarbil told Yahoo Canada. "Especially my perception of sound."
"This is actually the perspective that really drove me to explore the world of a Deaf man, with the backdrop of the world. ... I was trying to find a character from the Deaf community in Ukraine, and I found Viktor via Facebook, and then I went to meet him. I know, as a filmmaker, it doesn't take a lot of time when you meet someone and your instinct, your gut is telling you, 'That's the guy.' He has so much charisma. He's amazing. ... Of course, the communication was not easy, but I treated Viktor's deafness the same way I usually do when I work with people in foreign languages."
As Sarbil explained, using visual aids, Google Translate, Viktor Korotovskyi's ability to read lips, learning basic sign language and having a Ukrainian field producer, there was an "organic" connection and trust built to tell Korotovskyi's story, amid Russia's attack.
The black-and-white cinematography, paired with sounds meant to mimic how Korotovskyi's hears the world, creates a powerful experience for the film's audience.
"The visual grammar of the film, the visual language of the film, the soundscape even, were not thought beforehand. I didn't plan it," Sarbil said. "So it really evolved naturally, as I was getting to know Viktor better, really when our relationship deepened."
"When it came to the black-and-white, for example, ... Viktor loves it. He takes a lot of pictures in black-and-white, and it's interesting, he believes that the black-and-white somehow bring out a greater sense of fairness and balance in the world. And this is really the reason why I chose the black-and-white, to reflect the way Viktor sees and experiences life."
As Sarbil highlighted, what was of the highest importance was ensuring the film was consistently connected to Korotovskyi's point of view. That included his desire to join the Ukrainian forces.
"The key element of the film is to stay on Viktor, always. When it came to his really deep desire to join the military, it's an element that came in a very organic and natural way in the narrative," Sarbil said.
"Viktor was raised with stories of wars by his father. ... When the war starts, it is an immense frustration for Viktor, not being able to join the fight to defend his homeland, his nation. And all the time I was with him, he was really desperate to be able to join the military and to find a purpose in this war."
TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 08: (L-R) Olivier Sarbil and Viktor Korotovskyi attend the premiere of "Viktor" during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Lightbox on September 08, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
'It's extremely challenging to operate in war'
In terms of being able to have access to Korotovskyi and filming in Ukraine, there was "constant stress" for the filmmaker and his crew, as circumstances were constantly changing.
"When it comes to war, obviously access is the most difficult part," Sarbil said. "When you go to Ukraine you need to get accreditation for the Ministry of Defence, but then it's very hard, you cannot plan, really."
"Maybe today you have a curfew, maybe you have a checkpoint, maybe today you cannot move. Maybe I can meet Viktor for one hour today, the next two days I cannot be with him, and you have to operate with constant stress. It's an extremely hostile environment, so it's extremely challenging to operate in war, and especially in Ukraine. But the people that we met, the soldiers, everyone was remarkable. .... So much bravery. They helped us on the ground. So it went very well."
One of the most emotional moments in Viktor comes near the end of the film where we see Korotovskyi speaking to a soldier who lost his hearing.
"I know how hard it is for you to lose your hearing in an instant and find oneself in complete silence," Korotovskyi tells him. "But deafness is not the end of you. It is the beginning."
"It was pretty emotional," Sarbil recalled. "We actually met that soldier not too long before we had the shoot, and is was the Deaf community that actually put us in touch with him and Viktor was really willing to meet him, and to help him."
"I didn't know what Viktor was going to tell him, really. And so it became very natural, very organic."
For anyone who watches Viktor, Sarbil hopes the film will raise awareness for the Deaf community, specifically at a time of war, which is often overlooked.
"I think it's a bit of a testament to how embracing our own differences can really unlock profound fulfillment and purpose," Sarbil said.
TIFF 2024: Protests go on despite suspension of 'Russians at War' screenings
Reuters
Updated Fri, September 13, 2024 at 6:58 p.m. MDT·2 min read
FILE PHOTO: Protesters gather outside the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) screening of 'Russians at War', in Toronto
TORONTO (Reuters) -Ukrainian Canadians protested on Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival even after its organizers reversed course and suspended screenings of a documentary about Russian soldiers in Ukraine that has been criticized as propaganda.
Earlier this week, "Russians At War" drew scores of protesters outside a Toronto theatre demanding TIFF withdraw the film from the festival.
TIFF organizers initially rebuffed their demands but on Thursday the festival said it was "forced to pause" planned screenings over the weekend after becoming aware of threats to festival operations and public safety.
"This is an unprecedented move for TIFF," organizers said in a statement. "We support civil discourse about and through films, including differences of opinion, and we fully support peaceful assembly."
Anastasia Trofimova, a Russian Canadian director and cinematographer, based "Russians At War" on footage she shot while embedded for seven months with Russian troops near the front line in Ukraine.
"I understand that emotions are high, but come see the film," she told Reuters in an interview when asked about her response to the protests.
"I did not come here with the intention of being part of a war... I've seen enough of wars."
Trofimova has denied accusations from Ukrainian critics that her documentary is propaganda. On the contrary, she said, it was filmed without permission from the Russian government, putting her at risk of criminal prosecution in Russia.
The documentary is a raw and visceral look at the conflict from the unfiltered perspective of soldiers fighting on the ground. They speak directly to the camera about fear, death and hope as the war rages around them.
Earlier in the week, Ukrainian Consul General in Toronto Oleh Nikolenko said the documentary was an attempt to whitewash war crimes committed by the Russian military since its invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage, also condemned the film and its inclusion at TIFF.
Trofimova said it was "wrong" and "irresponsible" for authorities to comment on the film without watching it.
After TIFF announced its decision to pause the screenings, the film's producers called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to "fully investigate this affront, from within a sovereign government, to our democratic values in a free media."
Nikolenko said TIFF's decision was "the only right decision" and the group would "continue to fight Russian propaganda."
Over 100 protesters gathered on Friday, dressed in traditional white clothing and holding sunflowers, a symbol of peace and resilience.
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Kyaw Soe Oo in Toronto; Editing by Frank McGurty, Jonathan Oatis and Rosalba O'Brien)
'Significant threats' of violence halt Toronto Film Festival screenings of Russia-Ukraine war documentary
Joey Nolfi
Fri, September 13, 2024 at 11:04 a.m. MDT·3 min read
'Significant threats' of violence halt Toronto Film Festival screenings of Russia-Ukraine war documentary
TIFF said its "decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers."
The Toronto International Film Festival has temporarily canceled all screenings of a new documentary chronicling the Russia-Ukraine war, citing "significant threats" to public safety as a reason for halting the its rollout in the Canadian city.
After previously announcing on Wednesday that the festival would proceed with showing director Anastasia Trofimova's Russians at War despite large protests outside festival venues, TIFF released a new statement the following day confirming that it would postpone all presentations.
"Effectively immediately, TIFF is forced to pause the upcoming screenings of Russians at War on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as we have been made aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety. While we stand firm on our statement shared yesterday, this decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers," the statement read, calling it an "unprecedented move" for the festival.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Courtesy of TIFFThe 2017 Toronto International Film Festival; 'Russians at War'
"As a cultural institution, we support civil discourse about and through films, including differences of opinion, and we fully support peaceful assembly," the statement continued. "However, we have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose significant risk; given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned. This has been an incredibly difficult decision. When we select films, we're guided by TIFF's mission, our values, and our programming principles. We believe this film has earned a place in our festival's lineup, and we are committed to screening it when it is safe to do so."
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to TIFF representatives for more information.
The festival's official description of Russians at War touts the project as going "beyond the headlines to join Russian soldiers in Ukraine placing themselves in a battle for reasons that become only more obscure with each gruelling day," and further describes the conflict as an "unjust war on Ukraine." The conflict has raged for more than two years, with Russian and Ukrainian celebrities like Regina Spektor, Vera Farmiga, and more speaking out on the violence.
Related: Stars strike a pose in EW's Toronto International Film Festival portrait studio
In defense of the film, Trofimova told The Hollywood Reporter that "because of the geopolitical climate that exists, these guys [Russian soldiers] just wanted to share with someone. Yes, I went there and no one else has."
Ann Semotiuk, a Ukrainian Canadian Congress board member, told the outlet she thought the film "ignored the fact that Russia was an aggressor that invaded a sovereign, independent, democratic, and peaceful neighbor for no reason other than their own imperialist plan."
Last week, a medical emergency interrupted the festival's world-premiere screening of Ron Howard's historical thriller Eden, starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl.
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EW was in the room for the event, where the lights came on and the film was paused while an attendee was carried out of the Roy Thomson Hall venue over a health-related incident.
TIFF continues through Sunday in Toronto.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.
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