6 Ukrainian-themed movies land on Oscar longlist

The American Film Academy has released the lists of films eligible for nominations at the 2025 Oscars. The longlist for the 97th awards includes six documentaries created by or about Ukraine.

This was reported on the official Oscars website, according to Rubryka.

Director Oksana Karpovych's film "Intercepted" is listed in three categories: "Animated Feature Film," "Documentary Feature Film," and "International Feature Film."

• The film combines intercepted conversations between Russians and their loved ones in Russia with visuals of Ukrainian cities and villages devastated by the war.

"The voices of 'peaceful' civilians reveal the reality of the so-called 'special operation' and the disturbing inner world of Russians," the filmmakers explain.

• "After the Rain: Putin's Stolen Children Come Home" is a documentary that tells the story of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and their return home. The film highlights the struggles faced by families of illegally deported children.

• "Porcelain War" follows the lives of three Ukrainian ceramic artists from Kharkiv: Slava Leontiev, his wife Ania Stasenko, and their friend Andrii Stefanov.

Amid the backdrop of relentless shelling, Ania pours her energy into creating art, Slava becomes a shooting instructor, and Andrii documents their lives through his camera. Together, Ania and Slava preserve their memories and dreams on delicate porcelain figurines.

• In the "International Feature Film" category, Ukraine will be represented by "La Palisada."

This post-Soviet noir is set in 1996, just before Ukraine abolished the death penalty.

"La Palisada" is a post-Soviet noir set in Ukraine in 1996. The plot follows two friends— a police detective and a forensic psychiatrist— as they investigate the murder of their colleague.

Both were once in love with the widow of the deceased. As they delve into the complicated case and confront long-buried memories, they shape a future for their children, who will inherit their parents' unfulfilled aspirations.

• In the same "International Feature Film" category, Poland has submitted "Under the Volcano."

The film tells the story of a Ukrainian family caught off guard by the full-scale invasion while vacationing on the Spanish islands. In one night, they are transformed into refugees.

As Rubryka reported, four films were submitted for Ukraine's national selection for the 97th Academy Awards:

• Solve House. An Unfinished Romance by Taras Tomenko
• We Were Recruits by Liubomyr Levytsky
• Intercepted by Oksana Karpovych
• La Palisada

Additionally, the Ukrainian documentary 20 Days in Mariupol won the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary.