Crepuscule / Prysmerk

At the age of 82, Maria resides in a remote village, caring for her ailing son Sashko. His grave illness has caused him to lose his eyesight, intensifying his fear of losing his mother. Recognizing that no one else will look after her son, Maria clings to life with unwavering determination. Together, they engage in quarrels, share jokes, and sometimes embark on entirely irrational endeavors. Above all, they strive not to surrender and try to persevere despite any adversity. Maria acquires a calf, while Sashko, though visually impaired, takes on the challenge of tinkering with a tractor.

Crepuscule is a documentary directed by Valentyn Vasianovych, in which he continues the narrative of the protagonist from his earlier diploma project, a short film titled Old People, which was co-directed by his brother Maksym Vasianovych in 2001. Notably, the central character in Crepuscule is the director’s own aunt, imbuing the story with an even more intimate and personal dimension. The film provides a profoundly symbolic portrayal of a Ukrainian village that once found its fame in the works of Oleksandr Dovzhenko. Now, however, it stands on the brink of extinction before our very eyes, along with its dwindling population.

The documentary earned recognition at the Docudays International Film Festival, receiving an award, and was also acclaimed as the best Ukrainian feature film of 2014 at the Odesa Film Festival. In Crepuscule, Vasianovych employs minimal dialogue, focusing instead on the actions, gestures, and interactions of his characters. This stylistic approach would later find expression in his feature films Level of Black and Atlantis.