Natalka Vorozhbyt’s *Demons* links Russia-Ukraine war to love triangle

A Ukrainian film set to premiere at the Locarno Film Festival this week weaves together love and betrayal as a raw metaphor for the tangled relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

Writer-director Natalka Vorozhbyt’s *Demons* follows a drifter from Russia who arrives in a remote village in central Ukraine and meets a strong, independent woman. The story unfolds against the backdrop of simmering tension, where personal bonds become a way to explore the larger conflict between the two nations. Locarno’s programming team has highlighted the film for its bold, timely storytelling, positioning it as a cultural statement in a moment when geopolitical divides feel more urgent than ever.

Vorozhbyt is known for her unflinching portrayals of Ukraine’s recent history, including the war in Donbas and the 2014 Maidan revolution. In *Demons*, she pushes the metaphor further, using an intimate triangle—two people and a place—to mirror the broader rupture between Russia and Ukraine. The film’s release comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, and as cultural resistance inside Ukraine has grown into a vital form of national survival.

The trailer, released exclusively by *The Hollywood Reporter*, shows fleeting images of a quiet village, a stranger’s arrival, and moments of tenderness that quickly curdle into suspicion. Critics have already noted the film’s potential to resonate beyond Ukraine’s borders, especially in Europe where debates over identity, memory, and responsibility remain unresolved. If *Demons* lands well at Locarno, it could travel to festivals across the continent this fall, offering audiences a rare cinematic bridge between war and human connection.