- May 22, 2025
- 12:28 am
- Israel
In 2025, two Ukrainian films — “Viktor” and “2000 Meters to Andriivka” — entered the international competition of Israel’s leading documentary film festival, Docaviv. Both were created against the backdrop of the full-scale Russian invasion and are part of the special category World in Conflict, dedicated to “modern conflicts.”
This is a significant event not only for Ukrainian and Jewish cinema, but also for the cultural dialogue between Ukraine and Israel, especially for Jews in Israel of Ukrainian descent. These films are personal, emotional, and visually powerful testimonies of war that resonate especially deeply in the Israeli context.
The website NAnews – Israel News explains why Ukraine’s participation in Docaviv is not just a festival achievement, but a symbolic moment of shared memory and solidarity.
Docaviv 2025: Israel’s Premier Documentary Film Festival
From May 22 to 31, 2025, Tel Aviv is hosting the 27th International Documentary Film Festival Docaviv. It spans the entire city, with screenings and events taking place at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Suzanne Dellal Center, Migdalor Cinema, Azrieli Sarona, and other cultural venues.
Festival website – https://www.docaviv.co.il/
The category World in Conflict, which includes the Ukrainian films, presents documentaries that reflect the most dramatic and pivotal events of recent years. These are chronicles of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and the right to choose a different future.
The international competition program is curated by the selection committee:
- Michal Weits – Artistic Director of the festival
- Tal Arditi
- Dr. Nir Ferber
- Dr. Laliv Melamed
- Karin Rywkind Segal
- Anat Nattel – Program Manager of the festival
Film: “Viktor”
- Countries: Denmark / Ukraine / France / USA
- Year: 2024
- Duration: 89 minutes
- Languages: Russian and Ukrainian
- Subtitles: Hebrew and English
The main character is a young man with a hearing impairment living with his mother in the Kharkiv region. He can barely hear the sounds of war but captures its destruction with his Nikon camera. His perspective is inspired by Samurai philosophy and conveyed through a stylized black-and-white visual palette.
The film blends verité-style observation with a cinematic approach. It is both intimate and universally resonant.
Director: Olivier Sarbil
Producers: Olivier Sarbil, Darren Aronofsky, Dylan Golden, Brendan Naylor, Sigrid Dyekjær, Philippe Levasseur
Production Companies: Real Lava, Protozoa Pictures
Editing: Atanas Georgiev
Cinematography: Olivier Sarbil
Sound: Peter Albrechtsen, Nicolas Becker, Heikki Kossi
Music: Disasterpeace
Screenings:
– May 22, 18:30, Cinematheque 1
– May 24, 12:30, Cinematheque 4
Tickets – https://www.docaviv.co.il/2025-en/films/viktor/
Festivals: TIFF, CPH:DOX, Full Frame, Visions du Réel
Film: “2000 Meters to Andriivka”
- Country: Ukraine
- Year: 2025
- Duration: 106 minutes
- Languages: Ukrainian and English
- Subtitles: Hebrew and English
This new work by Mstyslav Chernov follows a Ukrainian platoon on a mission to liberate the village of Andriivka from Russian occupation. Footage from soldiers’ helmet cameras, scenes of destruction, and real battle audio create an immersive presence.
The film was praised by the CPH:DOX jury, who compared it to “All Quiet on the Western Front”:
“But this is not the First World War. This is today. A real-time account of what’s happening right now.”
Director: Mstyslav Chernov
Producers: Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath
Editing: Michelle Mizner
Cinematography: Mstyslav Chernov
Music: Sam Slater
Screenings:
– May 25, 17:30, Cinematheque 2
– May 28, 10:30, Cinematheque 4
Festival: Sundance
Tickets – https://www.docaviv.co.il/2025-en/films/2000-meters-to-andriivka/
Ukraine and Israel: Dialogue Through Documentary
The films “Viktor” and “2000 Meters to Andriivka” offer Israeli viewers an opportunity to feel and understand what is happening in Ukraine through a human perspective captured on camera.
For Jews in Israel, especially those with Ukrainian roots, this is not just cinema — it is a personal story, memory, and act of solidarity.
The NAnews – Israel News website continues to highlight stories that strengthen the cultural and human connection between our nations.
