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Former pro footballer turned literature major and outstanding filmmaker, director Rostislav Kirpičenko brings brutal authenticity to his feature film debut, VESNA (2026), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film follows a Ukrainian priest who sees his church turned into a morgue in a Russian-occupied city, and he depicts Russians in a way we hardly ever see on screen but is an accurate telling based on dispatches from occupied areas of Ukraine.

He brings a humanity to a conflict that desperate for any sense of warmth, and it is an important -- but difficult -- watch.

In this episode, Rostislav and I talk about:

how the film portrays the unseen world of occupied Ukraine;
his amazing background that takes him from Eastern Europe to pro football to filmmaker;
a particular scene in which he wrote a Russian commander as sober and sneering at soldiers committing war crimes;
casting for a military film;
what's next for him.

Rostislav's Indie Filmmaker Highlight:

Links:

Follow Rostislav On Instagram

VESNA (2026) at the Cannes Film Festival