The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca International Film Festival. The film stars Oscar winner Sean Penn, and the soundtrack features a hit by the world-famous band Imagine Dragons.
This was reported by SOTA Cinema Group.
The project brought together renowned Ukrainian and international artists, including Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, who starred in Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi's short film The Eagle, and Imagine Dragons, whose hit song became the film's soundtrack.
The film was presented to the American public by the project's ideologist and producer, Oleg Kokhan; producers, Alexei Makukhin, Adam Siegel, and Andreas Malina; cinematographer, Byron Werner; and actress, Daria Marchenko.
"It wasn't difficult because we weren't acting; we've been living in this reality for four years now," actress Daria Marchenko commented during a briefing with journalists when asked by Chris Not about the impressive authenticity of the actors' performances.
After watching the film, journalists called the anthology a poignant reflection on the impact of war. Rather than showing the usual scenes of combat, it depicts the silent suffering of animals caught up in human conflict.
Based on real events, the anthology film consists of several short stories, ranging from the tale of a boy and a cow fleeing the occupation to an allegorical story about a destroyed sea. Each story is united by the theme of empathy for the victims of war, particularly animals, who, like humans, suffer from the consequences of Russian aggression.
The film was created with the help of well-known directors, such as Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, Ivan Sautkin, and Yulia Shashkova, as well as debutants, including Andriy Lidagovsky, Max Tuzov, and Sviatoslav Kostyuk. More than 500 artists participated in filming, which took place in Ukraine and the United States.
The project was made possible with the support of the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films, the Save Pets of Ukraine initiative, and the Razom for Ukraine organization. During the Tribeca Film Festival, about 500 people viewed the film.
The Ukrainian premiere is expected in fall 2025. Afterwards, War Through the Eyes of Animals will be released in Ukrainian and international theaters, as well as on streaming platforms. Viewers will be able to contribute to fundraising efforts to help people and animals affected by the war via a promo code listed in the credits.
Background
Tribeca is a prestigious international film festival founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff to support and promote independent cinema. Over the course of its 14 years in New York, the festival has attracted over three million visitors. The first Ukrainian film to participate in the event was Two in One by Kira Muratova.
Photo: SOTA Cinema Group/Tetyana Nikolaienko
Author: Danylo Pievchev