The Ukranian Flame
Synopsis
What’s left of the Olympic dream when the whole nation is at war? This film takes us to the heart of Ukrainian sport and the intimacy of its athletes. From Kiev to Zaporijia, via Dnipro and Irpin, the characters in this film live to the rhythm of sirens, Russian missiles, power cuts... and training sessions. The goal: Paris 2024.
Volodymyr, Marya, Alina and Iryna are young Ukrainian champions in gymnastics, fencing, athletics, wrestling and kayaking. Uprooted by two years of war, their lives were shattered by horror, and their Olympic destinies got hit by human folly. Volodymyr lost a leg at the Front and is now trying to qualify for the Paris Paralympics. Marya’s father is at the Front and hasn’t been home for months, and Alina is terrorized by the bombs that hit her town every day. As for Irina, the horrors she suffered in Irpin at the start of the war have plunged her into a depression from which she is struggling to escape. While training in the freezing Ukrainian winter, qualification attempts and sporting feats punctuate our story, this film is above all a breakthrough into Ukrainian society and the intimacy of athletes in wartime.
Credits
Director (1)
Production and distribution (2)
- Executive Producer : Mañana Films
- Film exports/foreign sales : Seventine
Media Gallery
Technical details
- Programme format : One-off
- Type : TV programme
- Genres : Documentary
- Sub-genre : Documentary
- Themes : War, Sport
- Production language : Ukrainian, French
- Production country : France (100.0%)
- Nationality : 100% French (France)
- Production year : 2024
