Dad's Lullaby

Dad's Lullaby is a 2024 feature-length documentary film by the Ukrainian film director and producer Lesia Diak.

Dad's Lullaby
Directed by	Lesia Diak
Screenplay by	Lesia Diak
Produced by	Lesia Diak Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan Elena Martin
Edited by	Andrei Gorgan
Running time	78 minutes
Countries	Ukraine Romania Croatia
Language	Ukrainian

Synopsis

A war-scarred veteran, Serhiy, struggles to reconnect with his wife and three young sons. The documentary takes an intimate turn when Serhiy interviews the director about her own relationship with a veteran, exploring themes of love and loss in the aftermath of conflict.

Release

The film had its world premiere in the Official Documentary Competition of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival on 18 August 2024.

Critical reception

Savina Petkova of Cineuropa wrote, 'Lesia Diak's tender portrait of a Ukrainian war veteran as a father is not afraid to interrogate itself […] It’s astounding how big of an impact keeping these self-reflexive scenes can have on an otherwise linear documentary and Lesia Diak is sensitive enough as a filmmaker to give in, in service of these moments of shared connection.'

Amber Wilkinson of Screen International wrote, 'Diak breaks from the straightforward observational technique during several evening conversations she has with Serhiy, in which he turns the camera on her, resulting in footage that is understandably raw. […] Diak poignantly shows the battle for normality can be just as difficult as the fight for freedom.'

Nick Cunningham of Business Doc Europe wrote, 'The film is as much a portrait of a marriage, or of parenting, as life away from war.'

Accolades

The film was nominated for the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Documentary Film 2024.

External links

Dad's Lullaby Official Trailer

Dad's Lullaby at IMDb