Being a father is probably the same everywhere in that one has to give advice, and they have to take care of their children even if said children are in their twenties. The father in To the Victory, from director / writer Valentyn Vasyanovych, is different for work reasons. He’s a filmmaker, a rewarding profession. But working in the future, postwar Ukraine has its challenges.
One more thing – Vasyanovych plays Valyk the protagonist, a fictional and neurotic version of himself. It goes without saying that the protagonist’s second most important relationship is with his son Yaroslav or Yarik (Hryhoriy Naumov). The first is with best friend Vlad (Vladlen Odudenko), playing lead on his other project. They have a bros before hos friendship in a country where women are leaving for much safer countries.
To the Victory obviously depicts Ukraine as one perpetually changed after Russia’s hopefully unsuccessful occupation. But the film is astutely aware of that war’s place within Ukraine’s rich history. The film shows that history with Vaylk’s scenes with his own strong-willed Dad (Volodomyr Kuznetsov). And they go to two cemeteries, places where people contemplate their lives.
In what’s basically auto fiction, To the Victory still showcases Vasyanovich’s style but with tweaks – the long takes are still there but it’s grimier and asymmetrical, making the film dynamic. Viewers presumably won’t mind scenes that are long as long as there are compelling conflicts within, and lastly, I don’t mind a film where two best friends get hilariously handsy together.
- Rated: Unrated
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: 9/6/2025
- Directed by: Valentyn Vasyanovych
- Starring: Valentyn Vasyanovych, Vladlen Odudenko
- Produced by: Iya Myslytska, Valentyn Vasyanovych
- Written by: Valentyn Vasyanovych
- Studio: Arsenal Films, ForeFilms, M-Films
