Ukrainian director and soldier Sentsov personally presents his film at festival for first time in two years – photos

Oleh Sentsov, the Ukrainian director, soldier and former prisoner of the Kremlin, has personally come to present his new film Real at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). It was his first trip abroad during the full-scale war. Source: Sentsov on Facebook

Details: "For the first time during the [full-scale] war, I went on holiday abroad, to the festival in Karlovy Vary, to present Real, a documentary about the tragic events of a year ago," Sentsov wrote.

He also said that he met with Czech President Petr Pavel and actor Viggo Mortensen, who had recently visited the city of Chernivtsi in Ukraine's west, on the eve of the premiere on 30 June.

Oleh Sentsov and Petr Pavel Photo: Sentsov on Facebook

"Now it is critically important that the conversation about Ukraine continues because it is the basis of our support and that we understand the inhumane conditions in which we are fighting the enemy. This is necessary not only for people abroad but also for us so that we can stop hiding in the world of dreams and illusions," Sentsov stressed. After the meeting, Pavel noted that Sentsov's new film is very important because it realistically shows the war in Ukraine. "It can tell more than ten reports or a whole book," Radio Liberty quoted Pavel as saying.

About the film Real

Real is Sentsov's fourth feature film.

Sentsov calls his new film atypical because it was created by accident. All the footage was recorded on Sentsov's tactical camera, and the events take place during a military unit's evacuation. Sentsov filmed the battle, which formed the basis of the film, in the summer of 2023, when his armoured combat vehicle was hit by the Russians.

He was then trapped in a nearby trench and tried to organise an evacuation from the position codenamed Real using radio communications. "Real is not a film in the classical sense. It's a piece of life during the war that was filmed by accident, but shows its true face without any decorations or phonies," he said earlier.

About the Karlovy Vary Festival

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival takes place every summer in Czechia.

This year, it will take place from 28 June to 6 July.

Since 1956, it has been part of Category A events--prestigious international film screenings with a non-specialised competition programme.

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