Post-war drama “Atlantis” has been causing a buzz as one of Ukraine’s most-awarded films ever since its international premiere in 2019. On June 13, it won six more accolades from the Ukrainian Film Academy, including best picture.
“We are indescribably happy with these prizes and congratulate the picture’s team,” reads the film’s Facebook post announcing the win. “We are grateful to everyone who supported us during this long journey. This is our common victory!”
Called Zolota Dzyga and dubbed “the Ukrainian Oscars,” the awards have recognized Ukraine’s best features, directors, and rising stars for the past five years. In 2020, the ceremony was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this time, the winners got to receive their awards in person.
“Atlantis” is a dystopian post-apocalyptic film set in the future of Ukraine in 2025 in a new Donbas after Ukraine wins the war against Russia. The story follows a soldier struggling to adapt to the new Donbas and his own personal traumas.
The film is the creation of Ukrainian filmmaker Valentyn Vasyanovych, who served as its director, screenwriter, cameraman and co-producer.
It was nominated for 11 Zolota Dzyga awards. It ended up winning more than half, including best director, best cinematography, best editing, best production design and best visual effects.
Read also: How ‘Atlantis’ director made Ukraine’s most awarded film against Russia’s war
The picture has previously received the best film prize in the Venice Film Festival’s second most important section, Horizons, in 2019. It also won at least ten more awards from film festivals all around the world. It was also longlisted by the European Film Awards and was named best picture by Ukraine’s Kinokolo film critics award.
“Atlantis” is now available to stream online worldwide through the MUBI streaming service.
Another big winner of the ceremony was Natalya Vorozhbit’s “Bad Roads” that won four awards including best screenplay, best actor, best supporting actress and best supporting actor. The film inspects various lives in occupied Donbas, which are dealing with tough realities.
Film critic: ‘Bad Roads’ is most humane look at war in Ukraine
The best documentary award went to “The Earth Is Blue as an Orange” directed by Iryna Tsilyk, following a single mother and her four children living in the front-line of Russia’s war in Donbas.
The best feature series prize went to the comedy drama “To Catch the Kaidash.” The award for best animated short was presented to “Ukraine’s History in 5 Minutes” by animator Sashko Danylenko.
The Academy also awarded a special prize for the contribution to the development of Ukrainian cinema to Roman Balayan, Ukrainian-Armenian director and screenwriter behind hit films “Flights in Dreams and Reality,” “Lone Wolf” and “Birds of Paradise.”
