In this surreal and haunting documentary, a Ukrainian filmmaker obsessively sifts through the shrapnel of the MH17 plane crash.
When Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukrainian airspace in 2014, killing all 298 passengers on board, international investigators found a Russian missile was responsible. The highly mediated fallout included a swathe of propaganda spread by Russian authorities, who denied involvement, setting a dangerous precedent and auguring their justifications for invading Ukraine in 2022.
Can cinema represent unthinkable violence without becoming complicit? This problem has plagued some of the greatest documentaries of recent years and likewise lies at the heart of Iron Butterflies. Faced with a barrage of misinformation, director Roman Liubyi eschews straightforward reportage for a sensorial assemblage of found and original video – archival footage, media clips, extensive interviews, surreal re-enactments and even interpretive dance – in his search for truth. The result is both a profoundly moving elegy for MH17’s victims and an impassioned plea for global peace
A dive into Man Ray’s surrealist and dreamlike world… extend[ing] his experimentation with photography to the moving image, playing with chance and light.
$15 exhibition entry for MIFF ticketholders
Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion
Never-before-seen costumes, original sketches, interactive experiences and cinematic treasures from the icons of the silent era to classic Hollywood heroines and the stars of Bollywood blockbusters.
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