COUNTRY: Germany, Ukraine YEAR: 2025 RUNNING TIME: 93 min
DIRECTED BY: Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz
LANGUAGE(S): Ukrainian, Russian
SUBTITLE(S): German
PRODUCER: Marcus Lenz, Patrick Waldmann, Mila Teshaieva, Mathilde Kirstein
WRITTEN BY: Mila Teshaieva, Marcus Lenz
EDITED BY: Agata Cierniak
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Marcus Lenz
MUSIC: Carl Ludwig Wetzig
Screenings
Panel Discussion: What Does Justice Look Like?
Synopsis
After the liberation of Bucha, Ukraine, the residents are rebuilding their city from the rubble after surviving the horrors of Russian occupation. A newly married couple, a schoolgirl, a city official, and an elderly housewife have all endured the painful experiences of war, yet they manage to hold onto hope and solidarity. But how do you rebuild in the wake of growing trauma, especially with war still raging in your country? As time goes on and hopes for a peaceful life fade, they must grapple with mounting tensions within their communities.
Entering Bucha on the first day when the survivors cautiously left their hiding places and the full extent of the war crimes became visible, the directors’ camera captured a “zero hour” of history.
Shot over a three-year period, the film follows closely five protagonists navigating the complex terrain of inner conflicts, trauma, and a longing for justice, posing questions about the future of a society at war. SHARDS OF LIGHT will have its German premiere in Nuremberg.
Director
Mila Teshaieva
Biography
Mila Teshaieva is a Ukrainian/ German artist and filmmaker whose work explores how historical narratives and political structures shape both individual and collective identities. Her work received worldwide recognition and was presented in institutions such as MIT Museum, Red Cross Museum, the Museum of European Cultures, and is held in multiple public collections. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Teshaieva returned to Kyiv and its surrounding regions to document the unfolding events. Her first feature documentary WHEN SPRING CAME TO BUCHA premiered at IDFA in 2022 and in 2023 received Audience Award at HotDocs, German Documentary Film Award, Grimme Award and Main Award at AJB DOC.
Filmography
When Spring Came to Bucha (2022), Splitter aus Licht (2025)
Marcus Lenz
Biography
Marcus Lenz is a German director and cinematographer based in Berlin. He graduated from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, DFFB, and is an author of numerous documentary and fiction films. His latest fiction film RIVAL had it´s world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, Korea, and the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. In Hof it won the Förderpreis Junges Deutsches Kino, and many international prizes followed.
Filmography
Selection: 24H Europe; The Next Generation (2019), Rival (2020), Der Vulkan von La Palma: Die Rückkehr des Lebens (2022), When Spring Came to Bucha (2022), Splitter aus Licht (2025)
Links /Contacts
WEBSITE: https://www.wildfilms.de/
INSTAGRAM: @shardsoflight.doc @marcus.lenz @milateshaieva
PRODUCTION: Wildfilms, THE WHY, Quiet Talks
WORLD SALES: Inka Achté