“Demons,” a new film by writer-director Natalka Vorozhbyt, will make its world premiere in the Filmmakers of the Present competition at the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on Aug. 13. The film explores themes of love, betrayal, and the historical tensions between Russia and Ukraine through an intimate narrative set in a remote Ukrainian village.
The story centers on Slavik, a Russian drifter and self-described writer with an obscured background, who arrives at a small village in central Ukraine during the 1990s. He is taken in by Nina, a strong and independent woman considerably older than him. Their initial connection suggests a romantic partnership, but as their relationship develops, affection gives way to deception. The village itself becomes a character in the narrative, with its own concealed social structures and supernatural elements woven throughout.
Vorozhbyt structured the film to operate across three distinct but interconnected layers. The first addresses the personal dynamics between man and woman within a traditional community framework. The second employs a socio-political lens, with the central relationship serving as an allegory for the broader relationship between Russia and Ukraine. The third dimension introduces mystical elements, examining the boundaries between the living, the deceased, and supernatural realms. According to the director’s vision, Nina represents post-Soviet Ukraine and its assertion of national independence, a framing that gives particular weight to her safety and well-being within the narrative.
The cast includes Ruslana Pysanka, Aleksey Mitin, Tatiana Stepanova, Ruslan Garmash, and Mykola Ponomarenko. Cinematographer Volodymyr Ivanov, editor Milenia Fiedler, and Andriy Gulyanych contributed to the technical production. Celluloid Dreams is managing international sales for the film. A trailer for “Demons” has been released ahead of its festival debut.
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