Deutsch
Donbass

Donbass

I chose Sergei Loz­nit­sa­s „Donbass“ because, even though the film was made in 2018, it feels astonishingly close to the „post-truth-world“ we live in today. It’s not just about propaganda or about different versions of reality co-existing. What particularly interests me is how people themselves live in this space between truth, fiction, staging and belief – and sometimes even co-produce that space themselves. Some of the individual episodes are so absurd that they almost become comical. At the same time, they’re based on real events and situations that Loznitsa researched using videos from the internet that were filmed on location in Donbas.
What I find particularly unsettling is the fact that the film doesn’t offer an easy political stance. It criticizes the Ukrainian side as well as the separatists and the larger structures of violence that have shaped the war in Donbas since 2014. For me, behind the film’s grotesque absurdity lies, above all, a story of the falling apart of the civil society: What happens when institutions, trust and normal social relationships slowly disappear? And how easily can monstrosity become something entirely ordinary in such an environment – almost something one comfortably gets used to.
For me, „Donbass“ is therefore less a historical document than a warning about how reality itself can become something that is manufactured, staged and ultimately inhabited by people.

Maksym

Curator

For me the movie theatre is one of the few places where people can share the same story and yet experience it in very different ways. Precisely that diversity of perspectives defines our society. Solidarity, community and open dialogue across cultural boundaries are values that are especially important for me. Als a film lover I am especially fascinated by transgressive works - films, that push conventional boundaries, ask uncomfortable questions and open up new perspectives. As a 23-year-old refugee from the Ukraine I have experienced firsthand how important it is to have spaces where different voices are visible. That’s why Kinoasyl means so much to me: the festival creates space for stories and experiences that are often underrepresented in cultural life and it transforms the cinema into a place of encounter, dialogue and shared learning.

Sergei Loznitsa
France, Germany, Ukraine
Dark Comedy, Drama
OV + German subs
121 min.
Free
Content Notes
Gasteig HP8
Hans-Preißinger-Straße 8
81379 München

Maksym

Curator

For me the movie theatre is one of the few places where people can share the same story and yet experience it in very different ways. Precisely that diversity of perspectives defines our society. Solidarity, community and open dialogue across cultural boundaries are values that are especially important for me. Als a film lover I am especially fascinated by transgressive works - films, that push conventional boundaries, ask uncomfortable questions and open up new perspectives. As a 23-year-old refugee from the Ukraine I have experienced firsthand how important it is to have spaces where different voices are visible. That’s why Kinoasyl means so much to me: the festival creates space for stories and experiences that are often underrepresented in cultural life and it transforms the cinema into a place of encounter, dialogue and shared learning.

+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
22.-27. Nov 2026
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+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
22.-27. Nov 2026
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+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
22.-27. Nov 2026
KINO ASYL 2026 Loading