Fragments of Ice

Fragments of Ice is edited together from fifteen VHS tapes in the period 1986 to 1994: video diaries shot by the director's father, who was a master figure skater in Ukraine. The footage is from his overseas tours with the ensemble Ballet on Ice, as well as in his own home. As we follow director Maria Stoianova as she grows up, we witness the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's journey to regain its independence. The expectations reflected in the glamorous footage from the West stand in stark contrast to the home video footage of peeling walls, collapsed ceilings and cockroaches in the apartment. The film captures both the breadth of history and its impact on the lives of real people, ending with a new upheaval - the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. (The Norwegian International Film Festival)