Oscar-nominated Ukrainian director Slava Leontyev on Porcelain War and its global impact

March 3, 2025

Porcelain War tells the story of three Ukrainian artists—Slava Leontyev, his wife Anya Stasenko, and Andriy Stefanov—who remained in frontline Kharkiv, crafting porcelain figurines such as owls and dragons. The film is a co-production between the USA, Ukraine, and Australia, directed by American Brendan Bellomo and Ukrainian Slava Leontyev.

The soundtrack for Porcelain War features music by DakhaBrakha. How did you come up with the idea to involve them? Was it difficult to arrange?

“It was fate. Andriy used to paint while listening to DakhaBrakha for inspiration. We also listened to their project with [poet and musician] Serhiy Zhadan.

When Brendan asked what music would help us edit the first sections of the film, we sent him DakhaBrakha and other Ukrainian music. Later, Brendan sent us additional materials for the film, which were delivered by volunteers to our unit in Ukraine. When they played the footage in the car, DakhaBrakha was playing in the background.

Brendan quickly realized this was a unique opportunity—to have a single musical source that could unify the entire film. No matter the scene, DakhaBrakha had a song that perfectly captured the emotion of the moment.

The only question was how to get their approval. They were on tour in the U.S., and our producers couldn’t reach them. So they just went to one of their concerts and held up a giant sign that said: ‘Please call us at this number.’ That’s how we got in touch.

The band gave us full access to their entire music library, even some unreleased tracks. And they directed all the licensing payments to a fund that supports Ukrainian musicians serving in the military. They are incredible.

It’s hard to describe how American audiences react to DakhaBrakha’s music. They’re completely blown away. At one screening during a security conference, the audience had to be evacuated due to a fire hazard. The theater was empty. But when the film started playing, and DakhaBrakha’s music filled the room, people rushed back in. Within minutes, the theater was packed again.”

Full article

How does DakhaBrakha convey Ukraine’s message to the world? Featuring a special music selection by Marko.

Marko Halanevych was born in the village of Krushynivka, Vinnytsia Oblast, where he spent his early childhood.

My family left the Vinnytsia Oblast, but we managed to preserve our traditions. My parents were rural intellectuals. My mother oversaw the department of ethnology and taught this subject. Ukrainian history was a deeply painful topic for my parents. We often spoke about it.

Full article