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.
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Lesia KordonetsDirector
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Lesia KordonetsWriter
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Filippo BonacciProducer
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Real PeopleKey Cast
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Project Title (Original Language):Balazher. Korrekturen der Wirklichkeit
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Runtime:29 minutes 22 seconds
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Completion Date:September 22, 2013
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Country of Origin:Switzerland
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Country of Filming:Ukraine
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Language:Ukrainian
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes - Zurich University of the art
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33rd Munich International Festival of Film SchoolsMunich, Germany
November 22, 2013
World Premiere
BEST DOCUMENTARY -
61tth Belgrade Documentary and Short Film FestivalBelgrade, Serbia
April 3, 2014
Balkan Premiere -
Short Film Corner 2014 at Film Festival Cannes, Cannes Court MètrageCannes, France
France Premiere -
5th Odessa International FilmfestivalOdessa, Ukraine
July 17, 2014
Ukrainian Premiere -
11th CINEFEST MISKOLC INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALMISKOLC
Hungary
September 12, 2014 -
15th FIRST STEP AWARDSBerlin
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 ECRANSGeneva
Switzerland
November 6, 2014
RTS PRIZE FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM -
20th GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - FESTIVAL TOUS ECRANSGeneva
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
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.
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...