Chas pidlotu

The “time to target” refers to how long a rocket needs to reach its target. Even far away from the front, the Ukrainian population is not safe from military attacks. Not safe from death, destruction and the consequences on society of a war of attrition. Lviv in western Ukraine, birthplace of director Vitaly Mansky, is struggling to retain a degree of normality, albeit without letting the daily losses of war become routine. The springtime bustle of the city’s historical centre and its rush hour, city tours and rallies, school lessons and coffee house noise is interrupted by bells of mourning and minutes of silence again and again. The city cemetery fills up with flags and wooden crosses. Over one year, the film accompanies the musicians of a military orchestra, veterans and civilians in how they make it through their everyday lives – with heart, wit and the courage to face a merciless reality. One spring and one year of war later: new recruits are deployed. The circle closes. And it becomes painfully clear that peace refers to nothing but the time before a rocket hits. (Irina Bondas)

Vitaly Mansky was born in 1963 in Lviv, Ukraine. After obtaining higher education in Moscow in 1989, he became one of the most prominent contemporary documentary filmmakers. His films have been screened at film festivals worldwide and he received over 100 international awards. In 2007, he founded the International Festival of Creative Documentary Films Artdocfest in Russia. In 2014, he emigrated to Latvia. He is still being persecuted by Russian authorities for expressing his civic stance. Mansky is president of the IDFF Artdocfest/Riga and member of the American Film Academy (Oscars).

Director Vitaly Mansky. Screenplay Vitaly Mansky. Cinematography Roman Petrusyak, Aleksey Leskov, Vitaly Mansky. Editing Matvey Troshinkin. Sound Design Jan Čeněk. Producer Natalia Manskaia. Co-Producers Natalia Khazan, Filip Remunda, Tereza Horska, Vit Klusak, Jan Barta. Production company Vertov (Riga, Latvia).

Films: 1988: Boomerang (short documentary). 1990: Post (short documentary), Etudes About Love (short documentary, 1990-1993). 1991: Lenin’s Body (short documentary). 1993: Cuts of a Recurrent War (short documentary). 1995: Bliss. 1999: Private Chronicles. Monologue. 2001: Putin. Leap Year, Yeltsin. Another Life, Gorbachev. After The Empire. 2002: Broadway. Black Sea. 2003: Anatomy of T.a.T.u.. 2005: Gagarin’s Pioneers. 2006: Wild, Wild Beach. 2008: Dawn / Sunset. Dalai Lama 14, Virginity. 2009: Beginning / Nikolina Gora. Epilogue. 2011: Motherland or Death. 2013: Pipeline. 2014: The Book. 2015: Under the Sun. 2016: Radinieki / Rodnye (Close Relations). 2018: Putina liecinieki / Putin’s Witnesses. 2020: Gorbačovs. Paradīze / Gorbachev. Heaven. 2023: 2020, Shidniy front / Eastern Front. 2024: Dzelzs / Iron. 2025: Chas pidlotu / Time to the Target.