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| A Bit of a Stranger | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Svitlana Lishchynska |
| Written by | Svitlana Lishchynska |
| Produced by | Anna Kapustina |
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries | Ukraine, Germany and Sweden |
| Languages | Ukrainian, Russian and English |
A Bit of a Stranger is a 2024 documentary film written and directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Svitlana Lishchynska. An international co-production between Ukraine, Germany and Sweden, it follows four generations of women from the director's Mariupol family and examines family relationships, Russification, national identity and displacement following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1][2]
The film premiered in the Panorama section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Andriy Matrosov Award at the 2024 Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.[3][4]
Production
editLishchynska began developing the documentary before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Reporting by Novaya Gazeta Europe stated that work on the film began in late 2021.[5] It was produced by Anna Kapustina for Albatros Communicos Ukraine and co-produced by Fredrik Lange and Kristina Börjeson. Production partners included ZDF/ARTE, Vilda Bomben Film and Film i Väst.[1][2]
The film has a runtime of 90 minutes and uses Ukrainian, Russian and English.[1][2]
Synopsis
editThe documentary follows Lishchynska, her mother Valentina, her daughter Alexandra and her granddaughter Stefania. Combining family conversations, contemporary observation and archival footage, it explores tensions within the family and their changing relationships to Mariupol, language and national identity. After the invasion, Alexandra and Stefania relocate to London, while the family confronts displacement and the loss of their home.[5][3]
Release and reception
editA Bit of a Stranger had its world premiere in the Panorama programme of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2024.[3] It later screened in the DOCU/UKRAINE competition at Docudays UA.[2]
Savina Petkova of Cineuropa described the documentary as combining personal introspection with broader social observation, while noting that parts of it were uneven and meandering.[3] Tom Masters of Novaya Gazeta Europe wrote that the film was particularly effective in its treatment of language, nationality and family bonds.[5]
Accolades
editAt the 2024 Docudays UA festival, the film received the Andriy Matrosov Award. The festival said the prize recognized the film's bravery in exploring questions of identity within the director's family.[4]
References
edit- 1 2 3 "A Bit of a Stranger". Cineuropa. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "A Bit of a Stranger". Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Petkova, Savina (26 February 2024). "Review: A Bit of a Stranger". Cineuropa. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Andriy Matrosov Prize 2024". Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Masters, Tom (28 February 2024). "The Big Terrible Thing". Novaya Gazeta Europe. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
External links
edit- A Bit of a Stranger at Cineuropa