Megan McLachlan talks to DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement winners Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev about their stunning film Porcelain War.
This awards season, Porcelain War has been one to keep an eye on in the Best Documentary Feature race.
The cinematography, the story of artists putting down their paint brushes for guns — the documentary offers a unique look at the War in Ukraine and what everyday people must do to survive.
“It’s a Battle Between Democracy and the Totalitarian Aggressor”
Through the lens of Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey, Porcelain War shows audiences what it’s like when your home country is a war zone and how citizens rise up to fight against a fascist regime.
“In our real life, in our situation in Ukraine, we have no other choice,” said co-director Slava Leontyev. “Our goal is to just survive and preserve our identity and defend our independence and culture. Our camera is not for us, it’s not for people inside: It’s to share our experience. It’s an experience of people who came not to defend their property but because they felt responsibility in the face of history. It’s a battle between democracy and the totalitarian aggressor. And these front lines you can find anywhere in totalitarian countries.”
“Maybe Somebody Else Won’t Have to Be in Our Shoes”
Co-director Brendan Bellomo collaborated with Leontyev across thousands of miles, helping artists who craft in paint and porcelain learn how to work a camera.
“When you look at the process of filmmaking, it’s not a unidirectional act,” says Bellomo. “We are working together in what becomes a cycle. We first began to collaborate over Zoom through an interpreter. But this process became expanded in a really unexpected way. We started with one camera and eventually ended up with 15 cameras. Slava’s special forces unit wanted to share what they were going through. They said, if we can capture what we’re going through when we wake up in the morning, maybe somebody else won’t have to be in our shoes in the future.”
Full Conversation with Porcelain War Directors
Watch my full conversation with Porcelain War directors Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev below.
