When Lightning Flashes Over the Sea, which world premiered in the Forum sidebar of the 75th edition of the Berlin Film Festival and puts a spotlight on how Russia’s war against Ukraine affects people. Principal photography began on 23 October 2023. Filming ended on 15 April 2024 in locations in Odessa.
Synopsis
Day labourers smoke while looking at the Black Sea, workmen stretch out on the roof of the damaged cathedral, a boy manoeuvres us through the sunny streets and courtyards of Odesa while he dreams of a medium-size chocolate cake for his birthday and a job on a cruise ship. Yet this cheerful everyday life is tempered by a feeling of unease, for the many gaps – the holes in the historical facades, the absence of family members or the darkness caused by the power blackouts – render the omnipresence of the war far more shocking than its deceptively far-off rumblings. The memories, experiences and dreams of the astounding people that Eva Neymann shows on her extended, attentive expedition through the harbour city become a means of survival. A refugee from Abkhazia, a nomadic clergyman, a widow who takes care of street cats, a single father whose sons live on different sides of the front, a Shoah survivor and many more give us seldom insights into the reality of a place surrounded by myths, a poetic space full of resilient humanity.
The documentary shows people with a spirit of resilience and focus on going on with their lives.
Neymann‘s personal experiences during the war deeply influenced the documentary’s perspective, adding an incredible layer of authenticity to the narration .
“Of course, life goes on, and you see young girls taking selfies and women looking very nice. And the restaurants are open. There are concerts in the city, and so on. It is a very, very strange state. Explosions happen regularly, of course. It is so terrible. I have experienced it quite a few times. But after a couple of hours, maybe faster, you just forget it. It is possible to get used to it in some way to make life continue,” Neymann said.
Next screening - Sat Feb 22 at 12:30
