Private Project

Balazher. The Corrections of Reality

Social systems come and go, but people remain.
Since Soviet times an old ukrainian bus has been running along the outermost EU border. At the junction of this geo-political construct this old bus appears as fragile as the past itself. Will the bus come? Or not? Passengers wait patiently at the bus stop: and they dream that the bus will take them - perhaps to a better future.

  • Lesia Kordonets
    Director
  • Lesia Kordonets
    Writer
  • Filippo Bonacci
    Producer
  • Real People
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Balazher. Korrekturen der Wirklichkeit
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 22, 2013
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    Ukraine
  • Language:
    Ukrainian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Zurich University of the art
  • 33rd Munich International Festival of Film Schools
    Munich, Germany
    November 22, 2013
    World Premiere
    BEST DOCUMENTARY
  • 61tth Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival
    Belgrade, Serbia
    April 3, 2014
    Balkan Premiere
  • Short Film Corner 2014 at Film Festival Cannes, Cannes Court Mètrage
    Cannes, France
    France Premiere
  • 5th Odessa International Filmfestival
    Odessa, Ukraine
    July 17, 2014
    Ukrainian Premiere
  • 11th CINEFEST MISKOLC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    MISKOLC
    Hungary
    September 12, 2014
  • 15th FIRST STEP AWARDS
    Berlin
    Germany
    September 15, 2014
  • 23th OPEN FILMFESTIVAL KINOSHOCK

    Russian Federation
    September 21, 2014
  • 37th INPUT - INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC TELEVISION CONFERENCE

    Finland
    October 27, 2014
  • 20th GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - FESTIVAL TOUS ECRANS
    Geneva
    Switzerland
    November 6, 2014
    RTS PRIZE FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM
  • 20th GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - FESTIVAL TOUS ECRANS
    Geneva
    Switzerland
    November 6, 2014
    SPECIAL MENTION OF THE JURY
  • 24th FILMFESTIVAL COTTBUS

    Germany
    November 6, 2014
  • 59th CORK FILM FESTIVAL

    Ireland
    November 7, 2014
  • 3rd NIGHT OF THE 10th BIG SUR SHORT FILM SCREENING SERIES

    United States
    June 21, 2015
  • 14th INTERNATIONAL KANSK VIDEO FESTIVAL

    Russian Federation
    August 22, 2015
  • K3 FILM FESTIVAL VILLACH

    Austria
    September 16, 2015
  • 10th INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL ALBANIA

    Albania
    September 21, 2015
  • 12th FILMFEST EBERSWALDE

    Germany
    October 9, 2015
    AUDIENCE AWARD SHORT DOCUMENTARY
  • 11th EARLY BIRD STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL

    Bulgaria
    November 4, 2015
    BEST DOCUMENTARY
  • 9th GRAND OFF INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

    Poland
    December 3, 2015
    NOMINATION IN THE CATEGORY BEST DOCUMENTARY
  • 7th ARES FILM & MEDIA FESTIVAL

    Italy
    December 18, 2015
  • 1st LYON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    France
    January 16, 2016
  • 32nd INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL “SARAJEVO WINTER 2016”

    Bosnia and Herzegovina
    February 7, 2016
  • 3rd GREEN IMAGE FILM FESTIVAL

    Japan
    March 23, 2016
    GREEN IMAGE AWARD
  • 4th BIOBIOCINE, FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CONCEPCÍON

    Chile
    April 19, 2016
  • 26th MEDIAWAVE – ANOTHER CONNECTION INT’L FILM FESTIVAL AND MUSIC GATHERING

    Hungary
    April 27, 2016
  • 10th ETHNOCINECA – INT’L DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL VIENNA

    Austria
    May 17, 2016
Director Biography - Lesia Kordonets

Lesia Kordonets was born in Ukraine in 1983. Grew up in the times of social turmoil in her homeland, she entered Theodor-Heuss College of Education (promoting democratic responsibility and civil engagement among young people in Eastern Europe). After her graduation in German studies she has written and directed various short films and documentaries in Ukraine, Germany and Switzerland. 2013 she graduated from the department of cinema of Zurich Art Institute.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Through dreams and ideologies people try to correct reality - once on an individual and once again on a collective level. The ideology of a state declares the ideal situation. And a human being dreams most often about something that he/she misses.
In theory most things work. Seen as architectural drawings buildings are always in immaculate condition. Transport and transportation means are always constructed so that they have no apparent defects. An ideology or how a society should function, can also appear perfect on a theoretical level. But the reality is often a different one.
I come from the region that seems - to me - like an eternal no-mans-land. This is likely due to the fact that this land has been owned by so many countries in its history. My grandma was a citizen of five different states, despite having left her village. One generation lived through five different state systems, five political ideologies, languages, currency etc.
I’ve seen only one such change of the social system but probably it was the most radical one. After 22 years we are still in a situation of seeing value systems change.
Ideologies can alternate but personal aspirations and desires remain.
I wanted this film to convey the state of waiting... Waiting for something, where nobody is sure if it’s going to happen or not.
The bus shown in the film represents a movement not only across the territory but also through the time, it is a relic of the changing past on the way to an uncertain future.
What’s left of ideology and what remains of dreams? I've construed my film in the space that has been left inbetween these two concepts. It’s my personal “correction” of reality...