"Songs of Slow Burning Earth" earns two European Film Awards nominations
Some stories read like a news alert. This one feels closer to a diary page from a country at war - and now it's headed to one of Europe's biggest stages.
Olga Zhurba's documentary "Songs of Slow Burning Earth" has landed two nominations at the 38th European Film Awards: European Documentary Film and European Film. That's rare air for any doc, and a big moment for Ukrainian cinema.
The European Film Academy published the full nominee list, confirming the double nod.
What the film shows - and why it hits hard
This isn't a front-line chronicle. It's a mosaic of ordinary life in the first years of Russia's full-scale invasion - the panic, the sirens, the long lines, and then the quieter, heavier part: how people start living with a new kind of normal.
And it doesn't rush. It lets the small moments tell you what the headlines miss. You feel the distance between what the news shows and what people carry day to day.
How it started
"These shoots began when it seemed the world was on the brink of collapse, making it impossible to focus on cinema. I felt compelled to capture the events around me, as it seemed crucial to preserve archival footage for the future," Zhurba said, speaking to Suspilne Culture on November 18.
This is Zhurba's second feature-length documentary. It premiered at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival and has already drawn international attention.
Why this matters beyond awards
Producer Daria Bassel (movies and tv series) put it plainly: Europe's still trying to fully grasp this war, and documentary films can reveal what never makes it into short news clips. She also called the nominations - voted on by industry professionals across Europe - a real acknowledgment of the team's work and thanked everyone who helped bring the project to life.
Here's what this could mean: more screens across Europe, tougher conversations in Q&As, and a wider audience hearing Ukrainian voices tell their own story. And yes, a stronger path to distribution for the film.
One more note on Ukrainian film right now
It's not happening in isolation. The animated short "I Died in Irpin," directed by Anastasiia Falileieva (movies and tv series), recently won Best of the Best in the short film category at the Emile Awards. Different form, same thread - filmmakers preserving what's happening, with clear eyes.
Maybe it's just timing, but it feels like a shift: more rooms listening, more festivals taking notice. And for a film built on lived moments, that attention matters.
