Cannes Film Festival: Powerful Focus on Ukraine and Truth in War

France’s closeness to Ukraine, invaded by Russia, becomes a point of focus for the Cannes Film Festival (May 13–24), which has announced a dedicated "Ukraine Day" on opening day, May 13, featuring three films, CE Report quotes ANSA.

“It’s a reminder of the commitment of artists, writers, and journalists to tell the story of this conflict in the heart of Europe, which has affected the Ukrainian people and the world for three years,” states the festival.

“At the same time, it’s a program that reflects the Cannes Festival’s dedication and its ability to represent the challenges of the world—and therefore our shared future—through cinema,” the statement continues, affirming the festival’s desire to give a voice to those who bear witness to today’s realities and fight for the truth.

The program, held in the Bazin Theater starting in the morning, will present three documentaries:

1. "Zelensky" by Yves Jeuland, Lisa Vapné, and Ariane Chemin (France):
A biographical documentary tracing Volodymyr Zelensky’s life, from his birth in 1978 in Kryvyi Rih—a major industrial center in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking region—through his largely apolitical adolescence and early stand-up comedy career, to his rise as a national leader and president.

2. "Notre Guerre" by Bernard-Henri Lévy and Marc Roussel (France–Ukraine):
A front-line report filmed between February and April 2025 on the Pokrovsk and Sumy fronts in eastern Ukraine. It follows Kyiv’s Anna Brigade, armed by France, and captures the daily lives of civilians under Russian bombardment. It includes an interview with President Zelensky, hesitant to travel to Washington, and scenes of his meeting with soldiers in a bunker. But the film’s real heroes are the anonymous fighters and civilians who endure adversity with dignity. This documentary is the final chapter of Lévy’s "Ukrainian Quartet" and serves as a flashback-laced war diary.

3. "2000 Meters from Andriivka" by Mstyslav Chernov (Ukraine–USA):
Created by the Oscar-winning director of 20 Days in Mariupol, this film documents the devastation in Ukraine and the grueling efforts of Ukrainian troops to reclaim their territory. Despite immense danger, Chernov joins soldiers at the front in eastern Ukraine as they push through charred forest and minefields to liberate the strategic village of Andriivka.