VIKTOR
VIKTOR
“An up close and personal, highly stylized excursion. (Grade A)”
“A truly singular experience worthy of its adulation.”
“A true triumph of non-fiction filmmaking.”
“A deaf photographer’s inner world redefines war cinema.”
Viktor, a young deaf man in Kharkiv, watches warily during the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai films and raised on stories of war, he dreams of becoming a warrior but is repeatedly denied when he tries to enlist. Eager to find purpose, Viktor embarks on a quest to find his place in the midst of a war he cannot hear. The film premiered at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was featured in the prestigious Platform Prize programme.
REVIEWS
LINKS
Filmmaker Magazine: Olivier Sarbil on His TIFF-premiering doc Viktor
IndieWire: TIFF 2024: 90 Cinematographers Explain How They Shot Their Features
AWARDS
Won:
• Golden Starfish Award for Best Documentary Feature — Hamptons International Film Festival
“Sarbil’s innovative approach, fusing striking black-and-white imagery with inventive sound design, adds an extraordinary depth to Viktor’s journey.”
• Best Portrait Prize — International Festival of Films on Art
“An original exploration of the absurdity of war, following one man’s quest for meaning and reason through the eyes of an artist who simply cannot remain silent.”
• Best Sound in Feature Documentary — Social Impact Media Awards
• Jury Award, Documentary Feature — Charlotte International Film Festival
“For its intimate point of view along with astonishing cinematography and creative sound design, Viktor succeeds in weaving intricate themes into an immersive experience.”
• Alpha Bank Accessibility Award — Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
Nominated:
• Platform Prize — Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
• Golden Frog, Feature Documentary Films Competition — Camerimage
• Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography — Cinema Eye Honors Award
• Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design — Cinema Eye Honors Award
• Best Sound Editing, Feature Documentary — MPSE Golden Reel Awards
• Best International Documentary — DOCVILLE
• Audience Award — Visions du Réel
• George Gund III Memorial Central & Eastern European Award — Cleveland International Film Festival
• Filmmaker Award — Margaret Mead Film Festival
CREDITS
Director: Olivier Sarbil
Producers: Darren Aronofsky, Dylan Golden, Brendan Naylor, Sigrid Dyekjær, Olivier Sarbil
Cinematography: Olivier Sarbil
Editing: Atanas Georgiev
Sound: Peter Albrechtsen, Nicolas Becker, Heikki Kossi
Original Score: DISASTERPEACE
Executive Producers: Ari Handel, Romain Bessi, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfus, Mike Beck, Loren Hammonds, Mariia Antypenko, Ilya Kaminsky, Lani Levine, R.D. Dobson
Production Companies: Protozoa Pictures, Time Studios, Real Lava, Impact Partners
In Conversation: Darren Aronofsky & Olivier Sarbil on VIKTOR.
