The movie "Stepne," directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Marina Vroda, received the award for best direction at the 76th International Film Festival in Locarno, as reported by the State Film Agency.

The film is a co-production between Ukraine and Germany and marks the full-length feature directorial debut of filmmaker Marina Vroda.

Set amidst stunning Ukrainian winter landscapes and emerging feelings of alienation between people in a post-Soviet society, Stepne is the story of Anatoliy, a man who comes back home to take care of his dying mother. A meeting with his brother and a woman he loves makes him reflect on the choices he made along the way. And just before her death, the mother tells Anatoliy about a treasure…

"As an artist, I was always interested in the topic of disappearance, departure and parting with something valuable. The silence of past generations about their history made me create this film – as a question of my country's Soviet past", said Marina Vroda.

The festival organizers described the film as a "cinematic masterpiece that leaves an indelible mark on the psyche," a movie with "deep meaning despite its minimalist plot."

During the award ceremony, director Marina Vroda exclaimed the slogan "Glory to Ukraine" from the stage, to which the Romanian director Radu Jude, another winner of the festival, responded with "Glory to the Heroes," as reported by the State Film Agency.

The director also remembered the cinematographers currently at the frontlines and the team members who lost their lives during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.