Prague-based sales outlet Filmotor has secured international sales rights to Ukrainian filmmaker Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s documentary “Silent Flood,” ahead of its world premiere in IDFA’s International Competition.
The film focuses on a religious community based in a beautiful river canyon in Western Ukraine. It’s a sunny village filled with the laughter of children from large families. Yet, the community’s peaceful life is frequently disrupted by floods and war. Both are relentless forces that take lives. The community comes together to overcome the aftermath of floods. The floods alter community life, just as the country is reshaped by war.
Together with the community, we observe transformations, where the current war intertwines with the past ones, but the feeling of home can never be taken away from anyone.
“I’ve always been drawn to the invisible connections between people and the places they inhabit,” Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk said. “ ‘Silent Flood’ grew out of that fascination — with a secluded riverside community that lives in deep harmony with nature, yet always at the mercy of its forces. I first discovered this hidden village years ago during my river expeditions, and it felt like returning to my own childhood, to a time that had somehow stopped. The people there welcomed me with such openness and sincerity that I kept coming back. Their world, shaped by floods and now by war, reflects how fragile and cyclical life can be — a reminder that nothing truly stays untouched.”
“We have been following the ‘Silent Flood’ project since 2022, while it was in development, attracted by the subtle allegory behind the story, and the result is far beyond expected. It is a fascinating cinematic feast with a unique storyline and pace,” Petar Mitric of Filmotor said.
The film is produced by Karina Kostyna and Eugene Rachkovsky for Ukraine’s Tabor, and co-produced by Tanja Georgieva-Waldhauer for Germany’s Elemag Pictures. MDR Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk also co-produces, in collaboration with Arte.
Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s first feature, “Pamfir,” was developed by TorinoFilmLab, Midpoint and Cinefondation Residence and was selected for Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2022. The film was nominated in the European Discovery category of the European Film Awards.