Calling Ukraine

Jean Counet / Netherlands / 2015 / East European Premiere / 12 min.

synopsis

An older woman living in Latvia regularly Skypes with her sister and daughter, who are stranded in the war zone in Eastern Ukraine, helplessly listening to their woes. Close-ups of her troubled face alternating with photographs from her family archives testify to the impact of armed conflict on specific human fates.

DETAIL:
“In some neighbourhoods people have been hiding in basements since August 3rd. Without water. Without electricity. We had electricity for 24 hours. And then the Ukrainian army blew it up again.”

biography

Dutch director, cameraman, and producer Jean Counet has already filmed and directed in many different countries, from his home in the Netherlands to Latvia to Taiwan. He is known for his minimalistic style and precise camera work. To date he has directed only short-length films, such as his documentary look inside a Latvian hospital Inhale Exhale (2011).