'Atlantis': a haunting prophecy of war

When Valentyn Vasyanovych's Atlantis won prizes at the Venice Film Festival 18 months ago, that monumental, haunting film was still being referred to as science fiction. Today, unfortunately, we know better. The pitch-black but beautiful Dantesque vision turns out to be a prophecy.

The Ukrainian director tells the story of a traumatised war veteran on the dole in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the result of an atrocious invasion by the Russians. The man becomes intimate with a volunteer who digs up the bodies of the fallen. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope after all?

ATLANTIS
UA, 2019, dir.: Valentyn Vasyanovych, act.: Andriy Rymaruk, Liudmyla Bileka