Joni Pyysalo

I remember telling you at the end of last year about the Ukrainian film U Are The Universe, which became a national sensation in cinemas here. Well, it has literally just been released on Netflix today: lnk.ua/EvnHNwn8b And if you’re interested in Ukraine (or just in genuinely good, lyrical, intimate cinema), I definitely recommend it. It’s a tragicomedy about a Ukrainian space trucker alone in deep space. At once very funny and very sad, the film is carried by a single actor, comedian and war veteran Volodymyr Kravchuk, who has an incredible amount of charisma and perfectly embodies that “simple guy from the Ukrainian countryside,” with all the distinctive accent and flavor. The visuals of space are surprisingly good (especially considering the very modest budget), the music is fantastic, and there’s a lot of Ukrainian color throughout, along with plenty of hilarious nods to famous space films. In the theater, I caught references to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar, Moon, The Martian, and possibly even Gravity. I’m telling you: I had never seen a packed theater for a Ukrainian film like that. Here in Ukraine, the theatrical run was even extended multiple times because of the unprecedented demand. And now, after Project Hail Mary, another intimate and deeply touching space story, especially a Ukrainian one, feels just right. Especially if you’re from France! On Netflix, it’s available in Ukrainian with subtitles. I hope it’s accessible in your country as well. If not, here’s a Letterboxd link: boxd.it/ChSa