The Ukrainian film *Silence* received an award at the Venice Film Festival
Director Pavlo Shpegun’s short film received the Airone della Laguna – International Collateral Award. The Ukrainian film won the award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
This year marked the first time the Airone della Laguna Award was presented, and *Silence* became its first recipient. In the list of award winners, the film is listed as the winner in the short film category—the award for best feature film went to another film, the Iranian “Moragheb.”
The award was established to support a new generation of directors, innovative approaches to cinematic language, and new voices in national cinematography: the organizers evaluate the originality of ideas, the innovativeness of the narrative, visual style, and the treatment of relevant themes.
“Silence” is Pavlo Shpegun’s directorial debut, produced in collaboration with the Ukrainian film production company ForeFilms. The film was produced by Anna Yatsenko, Volodymyr Yatsenko, Inna Lastochkina, and Shpegun himself. The world premiere took place in the Orizzonti Short Films competition program at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, which this year featured 13 short films from various countries.
“This award is, first and foremost, a recognition of Pavlo, his boldness as a director, and the entire team. At the same time, it is further proof that Ukrainian cinema today is a prominent and integral part of the global film industry,” noted the film’s co-producer and ForeFilms producer Anna Yatsenko.
The film tells an intimate psychological story about closeness, loss, and silence. The main character, Luka, is a young stand-up comedian who, after a failed performance, meets a mysterious girl in a bar; they spend the night together, talking about loneliness, pain, and the losses they’ve experienced, while trying to maintain an emotional distance. When words run out, silence remains between the characters—it is through this interaction that the film explores the protagonists’ attempts to cope with their personal experiences and establish a connection with one another.
The lead roles were played by Grigory Naumov and Iolanta Bogdun. The film runs for 15 minutes. The screenplay was written by Pavel Shpegun, with Mikhail Lyubarsky serving as cinematographer and Yuri Katynsky as editor.
For Shpegun, *Silence* marked his directorial debut—prior to this, he had worked as a theater and film actor. The Ukrainian State Film Agency announced the film’s participation in the Venice Film Festival in July 2026.
In July, it was announced that “Silence” had been selected for the Orizzonti Short Films competition program at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival — for Pavlo Shpegun, this marked his directorial debut, which immediately earned a spot in the competition at one of the most prestigious international film festivals.
Source: Ministry of Culture
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