World politics took center stage in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary on Sunday. Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov world premiered his documentary Real from the trenches of the Ukraine War at the 58th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. But beforehand, he met with Czech president Petr Pavel who expressed the Czech Republic’s support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Sentsov, who is on leave from his work as a soldier in the war, had received a warm welcome and huge ovation during the fest’s opening ceremony on Friday evening. The Sunday premiere of Real at the Hotel Thermal in Karlovy Vary was packed.
The entire 90 minutes of Real play out in a single, unedited cut, with the audience seeing everything through Sentsov’s eyes, via a GoPro camera attached to his helmet in the trenches of the war. Sentsov repeatedly calls between the units and headquarters and speaks to his men gathered around him, trying to organize the evacuation of troops under fire and the resupply of his unit as Russian forces are closing in.
Real, the title of which comes from the operation’s codename, was produced by Arthouse Traffic and Cry Cinema in Ukraine together with coproducers Propeler Film in Croatia and Downey Ink in the U.K., with Sentsov, Denis Ivanov, Mike Downey, Boris T. Matić and Lana Matić producing.
Oleh Sentsov’s Ukraine war doc Real.
Courtesy of Karlovy Vary International FIlm Festival
