Ukrainian director Bondarchuk: the war has become a "new normal"
The Baltic Sea Docs documentary festival, marking its 30th anniversary this year, held a retrospective screening of Ukrainian director Roman Bondarchuk's 2015 film "Ukrainian Sheriffs," with an accompanying exhibition opening at the Dubulti art station.
The documentary film festival Baltic Sea Docs celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, and one of its central events was a retrospective screening of Ukrainian director Roman Bondarchuk's 2015 film "Ukrainian Sheriffs."
An exhibition dedicated to the film also opened at the Dubulti art station, underscoring that a work made almost 11 years ago still resonates with audiences and the film industry today.
Still relevant after 11 years
In an interview, director Roman Bondarchuk explained why "Ukrainian Sheriffs" has not lost its relevance more than a decade after its release. He also spoke about what has happened since to the people featured in the film, and revealed what connects them to Latvia.
Discussing the reality the film captures, Bondarchuk noted that the war ongoing in Ukraine for several years has, for society, turned into a kind of "new normal" — becoming part of everyday life rather than an exceptional state of emergency.
Baltic Sea Docs is one of the region's notable documentary film forums, and its anniversary edition placed particular emphasis on Ukraine and its cinema amid wartime conditions.
