Please note: this screening takes place on a Monday instead of our usual Tuesdays

Militantropos refers to the form that people take on when war has become their reality: a mental state in which survival, waiting, and perseverance define daily life. Through carefully composed, observational images, a penetrating portrait emerges of a Ukrainian society that has learned to live with war. The film does not focus on fighting at the front, but on the psychological and daily impact of the Russian invasion. Through poetic images of war-torn landscapes and communities, we see how resilience emerges amidst destruction. Amid fear, grief, and exhaustion, small moments of humanity persist: young people watching soccer in a trench, an elderly woman doing her grocery shopping while the world around her changes.

Militantropos is directed by three Ukrainian documentary filmmakers: Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova and Simon Mozgovyi. They are part of the Ukrainian film collective TABOR and developed the film as a collective project. The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and was later screened at IDFA. The film premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and was subsequently screened at IDFA, among other venues.

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