His own heritage inspiring extra concern about the Soviet invasion of the Ukraine, filmmaker Janek Ambros moves from the surreal world he explored in Mondo Hollywood to a short project that focuses on a sadly real situation. Traveling near the country, Ambros brought his camera and did what any movie lover feels compelled to do: he shot footage and ended up with a project called Ukrainians in Exile. Raw and real, his images include extensive interviews with a refugee named Anya. Without flash or pretense, Anya provides insight into daily fears that often fail to grab headlines. Editing hours of footage to a mere 7 minutes, the director reveals a tragedy facing a much longer timeframe—one that deserves continued coverage by filmmakers like Ambros. The project premiered at the Morelia Film Festival.
