'SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH' PLAYING IN "BEST OF FESTS" AT IDFA 2024

Songs of Slow Burning Earth, a haunting and powerful record of the war in Ukraine directed by Olha Zhurba, will be shown at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam from 15 to 23 November 2024. This will also mark its Dutch premiere.

Our Anne Köhncke co-produced alongside Kerstin Überlacker at the Swedish production company We Have a Plan. Songs of Slow Burning Earth was produced by Darya Bassel at the Ukraine-based company Moon Man, who also produced Outside, the first of Olha’s films that we co-produced.

Having had its world premiere at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, this is only a continuation of Songs of Slow Burning Earth’s amazing impact, and we can’t wait for you to see it!

The film is screening in the prestigious Best of Fests programme, which also features another FCFR title, Manon Ouimet & Jacob Perlmutter’s Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other.

Read more about the screenings at IDFA and book your tickets here.

'SONGS OF SLOW BURNING EARTH WORLD PREMIERING AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

We are immensely proud that Olha Zhurba’s profoundly strong and moving documentary film Songs of Slow Burning Earth will have its World Premiere at this year’s Venice Int. Film Festival.

The film is a series of reflective observations of Ukraine in wartime, interwoven with eye-witness accounts to contemplate the ultimate tragedy: the normalisation of war.

‘Songs of Slow Burning Earth’ is produced by Darya Bassel for the Ukrainian production company Moon Man, and is co-produced by Anne Köhncke for Final Cut for Real and Kerstin Übelacker for We Have A Plan.

This is the second film we are coproducing with Olha following Outside from 2022, and in Songs of Slow Burning Earth is continuing her beautiul collaboration with editor Michael Aaglund and editing consultant Niels Pagh Andersen.

Click here to read more about the Venice Film Festival 2024.

'THE KILLING OF A JOURNALIST' WINS CZECH AWARD

Matt Sarnecki has been awarded a Jury Award: Power of the Powerless by The Czech Film and Television Association FITES for his 2022 The Killing of a Journalist. The award acknowledges Sarnecki’s contribution to civil society, and he receives it for his writing and directing.

‘The Killing of a Journalist’ is a film about how the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová has inspired protests and influenced politics in Slovakia.

The jury note that “Sarnecki from a distance has deciphered the story of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, placing the act in previously unknown societal context of the intersection between the mafia and Slovak politics.” They further notice that “The use of unique materials from the villa of the main suspect, businessman Marian Kočner, adds significant value to the documentary.”