SILVER

[VULKAN] [ВУЛКАН]
Full of striking visuals, Ukrainian documentarian Roman Bondarchuk's (UKRAINIAN SHERIFFS) debut narrative feature chronicles the Kafkaesque encounters of a government official stranded in the bleak badlands of Ukraine. Lukas works as an interpreter for the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), and he is stuck near Beryslav — the watermelon capital of Ukraine — on the steppe, just north of Crimea. Sporadic war is going on nearby and Lukas wants to escape as soon as possible. But after several comically failed attempts, Lukas stays on and finds shelter at the home of a colorful local man named Vova. With Vova as his guide, Lukas is confronted by a universe beyond his imagination, one in which life seems utterly detached from any identifiable structure. Vova calls it total anarchy, and says if you get used to it, you can survive. Part Western, part romance, part black comedy, VOLCANO follows Lukas on a strange and dreamlike journey, painting a picture of Ukraine that appears simultaneously authentic and absurd. (Note adapted from the Seattle International Film Festival.) DIR/SCR Roman Bondarchuk; SCR Alla Tyutyunnik, Dar'ya Averchenko; PROD Michel Merkt, Olena Yershova. Ukraine/Germany, 2018, color, 106 min. In English and Ukrainian with English subtitles. NOT RATED

AFI Member passes accepted.