Special program "Chornobyl: utopia and apocalypse"  

One of the first films shot after the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear station. Shooting began on the 24th of May, 1986, the same day when Mikhail Gorbachov’s speech (which is included in the film) aired on the central tv channels of the USSR. This appearance was the first official remark of the general secretary on the subject, made more than two weeks after the event itself.

In this work, the invisible nature of radiation is underlined, while its “voice” is the main expression. The shooting equipment suffered constant failures, evidenced by the tell-tale spots imprinted on the film roll. This movie captured how key decisions on the elimination of the consequences of the accident were made - the construction of the sarcophagus for “eternal burial”, the introduction of liquid nitrogen into the burning reactor and evacuation of dwellers from contaminated areas, among others. Shooting was conducted in various locations - from the offices of bureaucrats to meeting halls to “hot spots”. The director and cinematographer, against the warnings of nuclear scientists, filmed from the neighboring roof to the epicenter of events - the third energy block of the reactor. After the end of filming, the whole shooting group was diagnosed to have received doses of radiation several times the norm and a part of them were immediately hospitalized. The director of the film, Volodymyr Shevchenko died from excessive radiation in march of the next year. Despite the beginning of “perestroika” and a proclaimed “glasnost” policy, the film was not cleared for release until February of 1987. The film, created following the fresh marks of the catastrophe, became the beginning of the public coming to terms with the traumatic experience of the catastrophe, and formed the main approaches to representation of the tragedy.