Kira Muratova Retrospective: The Absurdity of the Everyday and the Everydayness of Absurdity
Letter to America and The Doll were never intended as a diptych, yet together they paint a distinctive portrait of Ukraine at a turning point in history. These two films reflect a time when the country had already passed through the early post-Soviet years — a period still tinged with the romanticism of resistance — and entered a new decade marked by pragmatism, a focus on accumulation, and growing individualism. It was a moment when the rules of “wild capitalism” were becoming the norm, while traces of Soviet “high morality” still lingered.
Muratova recreates this social reality through metaphor, capturing a world in which, at the intersection of cruelty and compassion, people are no longer entirely good, but not yet completely ruthless.
She brings to the screen a hidden side of Odesa — one invisible to the passing tourist and overlooked by locals too accustomed to their surroundings.
In her uniquely sharp gaze, she captures the absurdity within the everyday — and the everyday within the absurd.
“Women* in Cinema” is a special KISFF section dedicated to women in film. For many years, the festival has been exploring this topic, and now it’s time to highlight it in a separate program. Women around the world continue to face challenges, and their presence in cinema remains underrepresented — and in some cases, is even experiencing a certain backlash.
Special thanks to Oleg Kokhan, Sota Cinema Group — producer of the film Dummy, and Odesa Film Studio for providing the rights to the films.
🎤 Films are screened in their original language, with Ukrainian and English subtitles.
💬 Screening will be followed by a discussion with the program's curator, Aliona Penzii, a researcher at the Dovzhenko Centre, film critic, and cultural manager.
❗ These films may contain potentially triggering or disturbing elements, such as the russian language.
🔞 Age restrictions:12+
This program is supported by the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Kyiv Office - Ukraine.
Curator: Aliona Penzii, a researcher at the Dovzhenko Centre.
Program partner of the screening: Dovzhenko Centre (UA)
LETTER TO AMERICA
Director: Kira Muratova
Country: Ukraine
Duration: 21
Two friends from Odesa try to compose a video message to their pals, emigrants to the United States. One of them rents his apartment to a tricky girl who invents various excuses not to pay the rent. An exceptional story about people on the verge of despair who nonetheless manage to enjoy life, even if these joys are beyond good and evil.
DUMMY
Director: Kira Muratova
Country: Ukraine
Duration: 33
The title is slang for counterfeit money. On a boulevard in Odesa a street artist receives a counterfeit banknote. Muratova presents several variations on the theme. Characters have the same name. Grotesque situations develop around mistaken identities and deception, and the storyline about trust is imbued with sarcasm. The intrigue is based on the response of plain folk and pseudo-swindlers.