The International Relations Commission presents the 2026 Reel Time Film Series
Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 7 pm at the Knickerbocker Theatre. FREE Admission
Porcelain War (2024)
Running Time: 1hour, 27 minutes
Languages: English, Russian, Ukrainian
Amidst the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, three artists defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their cameras, and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. Despite daily shelling, Anya finds resistance and purpose in her art, Andrey takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Slava becomes a weapons instructor for ordinary people who have become unlikely soldiers. As the war intensifies, Andrey picks up his camera to film their story, and on tiny porcelain figurines, Anya and Slava capture their idyllic past, uncertain present, and hope for the future.
Co-directed by Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo, with extraordinary footage from first-time cinematographer Stefanov, Porcelain War embodies the passion and fight that only an artist can put back into the world when it’s crumbling around them.
From the Academy Award®-winning producer of THE COVE and the Emmy® Award-winning producer of CHASING ICE, and the team behind the Grammy® Award-winning QUINCY, PORCELAIN WAR is one of the most decorated documentary features of 2024.