Photophobia
On a cold morning in February, 12-year-old Niki and his family arrive at a metro station in Kharkiv. The bleak reality is that this place is their refuge from the war raging outside. Daylight equals danger, and so the boy must live in the neon light of the metro station. Wandering endlessly along the empty carriages and full platforms, he meets peer Vika, after which a new world opens up to him. As they grow ever closer, the children find the courage to seek out the sun.
The war in Ukraine has already cost the lives of countless people - the war is brutal and cruel. In this documentary, Slovak directors Ivan Ostrochovský & Pavol Pekarčí wanted to show that despite all the horror, 'real' life also goes on: children remain children, music is made, laughter and flirtation too. Despite the ferocity of the subject, Photophobia mainly shows that hope and love are never lost. Award-winning at the Venice Film Festival.
