Ein Foto zum Andenken

Olga Chernykh grew up in Donetsk – a city in Eastern Ukraine that served for many years as the country's industrial stronghold, before becoming one of the major sites for fighting in the wake of the Russian invasion. Since Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine kicked off country-wide on 24 February 2022, Chernykh's experience of her homeland from Kyiv has been primarily through the news or in regular video-calls with her grandmother. The sound and visual recordings of a disturbing present shaped by war form Chernykh's first narrative layer, accompanied poetically by archival materials drawn from her personal and family histories – from happy seaside holidays to her great-grandfather, who supported post-World-War-II rebuilding efforts, to a childhood spent in a flourishing city. The past draws closer with every memory. "A Picture to Remember" blurs boundaries – between back then and today, as well as between reality and remembrance. An intimate documentary journey to the memories of three generations struggling through war and uncertainty, constantly in search of some way to cope with grief and loss.

Source: Filmfestival goEast 2024