Shards of Light
War has ravaged the Ukrainian city of Bucha, whose residents have endured unimaginable hostility and suffering. If hope remains a faint glimmer, the will to survive still shines through in this powerful and unflinching film.War crimes haunt the residents of Bucha, years after Russian occupation. And yet, among the bodies and rubble, they band together with a determination to carry on. Children rehearse school plays, widows rebuild their houses and couples begin married life even as soldiers return to the front – perhaps never to return. Nothing can prepare people for life in a society shaped by war and, as time marches on, fissures in communities become increasingly evident. Is democracy strong enough to hold a people together? Following their acclaimed 2022 film When Spring Came to Bucha, Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz continue to trace the city’s fight for survival. A tapestry of stories and characters reveal a precarious existence marked by devastation, uncertainty and a longing for peace.
After the liberation of Bucha, Ukraine, the residents are rebuilding their city from the rubble after surviving the horrors of Russian occupation. A newly married couple, a schoolgirl, a city official, and an elderly housewife have all endured the painful experiences of war, yet they manage to hold onto hope and solidarity. But how do you rebuild in the wake of growing trauma, especially with war still raging in your country? As time goes on and hopes for a peaceful life fade, they must grapple with mounting tensions within their communities.
Entering Bucha on the first day when the survivors cautiously left their hiding places and the full extent of the war crimes became visible, the directors’ camera captured a “zero hour” of history. Shot over a three-year period, the film follows closely five protagonists navigating the complex terrain of inner conflicts, trauma, and a longing for justice, posing questions about the future of a society at war. SHARDS OF LIGHT will have its German premiere in Nuremberg.
Regie
Mila Teshaieva is a Ukrainian/ German artist and filmmaker whose work explores how historical narratives and political structures shape both individual and collective identities. Her work received worldwide recognition and was presented in institutions such as MIT Museum, Red Cross Museum, the Museum of European Cultures, and is held in multiple public collections. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Teshaieva returned to Kyiv and its surrounding regions to document the unfolding events. Her first feature documentary WHEN SPRING CAME TO BUCHA premiered at IDFA in 2022 and in 2023 received Audience Award at HotDocs, German Documentary Film Award, Grimme Award and Main Award at AJB DOC.
Marcus Lenz is a German director and cinematographer based in Berlin. He graduated from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, DFFB, and is an author of numerous documentary and fiction films. His latest fiction film RIVAL had it´s world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, Korea, and the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. In Hof it won the Förderpreis Junges Deutsches Kino, and many international prizes followed.