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VIKTOR

by Olivier Sarbil

SYNOPSIS

Elegantly fusing rigorous reportage with cinematic subjectivity, "Viktor" offers a deeply personal perspective on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A young man living in Kharkiv embarks on a journey to find his place in the midst of a war he cannot hear and is denied to fight. An audiovisual experience delicately crafted to mirror that of its subject, "Viktor" is a testimony of a Deaf person navigating through chaos and violence.

DETAILS

89 mins

2024

Denmark, Ukraine, France, USA

Russian, Russian Sign Language, Ukrainian

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CREDITS

Directed by Olivier Sarbil
Produced by Olivier Sarbil, Darren Aronofsky, Dylan Golden, Brendan Naylor, Sigrid Dyekjær, Philippe Levasseur
With the support of Impact Partners, TIME Studios & Real Lava

BIOGRAPHY

OLIVIER SARBIL

Olivier Sarbil is a multi-award winning French documentary Director and two-time Emmy® winning Cinematographer. Over the past two decades, Olivier has worked extensively in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America and Asia, on many of the most pressing global conflicts and social issues that the world has faced. In 2011, his life took an unexpected turn when he was severely wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade while documenting the civil war in Libya. His wounds only strengthened his resolve to continue telling stories that further the understanding of the human condition, in all its contradictions. In 2018, Olivier directed the critically acclaimed feature documentary, ON THE PRESIDENT’S ORDERS, which documents the violent war on drugs in the Philippines and garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary. Variety described it as “a wholly cinematic, sensory experience, with straight-ahead reportage electrified by glaring streetlights and a panicked urban wall of sound.” For his previous film, MOSUL, Olivier spent six months embedded with the Iraqi Special Forces fighting ISIS. The resulting documentary provided a searing look at the ongoing conflict and won an Emmy for best cinematography, as well as being nominated for an additional Emmy for best documentary and a BAFTA for cinematography. The Guardian described the film as “an astonishing portrait of urban combat, and a gripping reflection of the universal, eternal truth of warfare”.

SELECT FESTIVALS

TIFF 2024〡HAMPTONS FF 2024 - BEST DOCUMENTARY〡CAMERIMAGE 2024

PRESS

"Extraordinary" (Grade A)
— IndieWire

"A true triumph of non-fiction filmmaking"
— POV Magazine

"A truly singular experience worthy of its adulation"
— Roger Ebert

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