Porcelain War

This Remembrance Day, we’re juxtaposing a Soviet anti-fascist masterpiece (Elem Klimov’s shattering Come and See) and a preview of an award-winning documentary from the war in Ukraine.

Most of us, in Canada, cannot truly comprehend a scenario in which our country is invaded and civilians are compelled to take up arms in its defence. Yet for Ukrainians, this is the reality. In Porcelain War, three artists elect to stay and fight — with cameras, their talent, and, yes, with guns. At first, despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in ceramics, Andrey gets his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and between skirmishes, Anya and Slava seek to capture their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for the future. Mixing intense conflict footage and moments of deliberation and intimacy, Porcelain War is a vivid reminder of perilous times.

Masterfully illustrates the enduring power of art in the face of adversity.

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