Ukrainian Director Zhanna Ozirna Explores Intimacy Under Siege in ‘Honeymoon’

By Essie Assibu

Essie Assibu

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At the 40th edition of Switzerland’s Fribourg International Film Festival, socially and politically engaged cinema remains at the heart of the lineup. Among the titles in international competition is “Honeymoon,” Ukrainian filmmaker Zhanna Ozirna’s chamber drama about a newly married couple trapped in their apartment as Russian forces close in on the Kyiv region at the start of the 2022 invasion.

Ozirna’s debut feature, which is having its Swiss premiere at FIFF, takes an intimate approach to a subject that has often been documented through frontline footage and reporting. Instead of depicting combat directly, she keeps the harsh realities of war largely offscreen, turning her attention to what happens inside a relationship when fear and the instinct to survive take over every aspect of daily life.

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