Fragile Memory

Ukraine / Slovakia 2022, 85 min, Russian, Polish and Ukrainian, Hebrew & English subtitles

Leonid Burlaka was an acclaimed cinematographer who worked for years at the film studios in Odesa (a claimant to the title “the real cradle of cinema”). As Alzheimer’s slowly chips away at Burlaka’s memories, his grandson Igor finds a bag full of crumbling film rolls and pores over them in an attempt to find missing pieces and fill the yawning gaps in his grandfather’s mind. By having careful and intimate conversations with his grandfather, meeting people who worked with him, and watching his films, filmmaker Igor Ivanko learns not only the personal story of the man who sparked his passion for film, but also the history of Soviet-era Ukraine. The film features rare excerpts from Soviet films (including footage of Vladimir Vysotsky and Joseph Brodsky) found in the enormous archive uncovered in Odesa.

Previous Festivals: Krakow Film Festival

Arts and Culture Cinema Docaviv Winners Family Matters History International Competition International Films Photography Spotlight on Ukraine Treasures of the Archive