Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s acclaimed documentary Porcelain War centers on three Ukrainian artists who choose to stay in their country despite the Russian invasion, armed with their art, cameras and, for the first time in their lives, their guns. The project, which won the 2024 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, includes three beautiful animated sequences in which artist and film subject Anya Stasenko’s paintings come to life on the surface of handmade porcelain figurines.
We recently had the chance to speak with Brendan Bellomo, Gabriela Jabłońska (head of production at BluBlu Studios) and Jędrzej Skrzypczyk (BluBlu’s executive creative director) to find out more about their award-winning work:
Animation Magazine: Congrats on the success of Porcelain War. Did you always knew that you wanted to incorporate animated sequences in your documentary?
Brendan Bellomo: Animation has been a part of this film since before we were even making a documentary. Producer Aniela Sidorska, who was born under Russian oppression in communist Poland, became a political refugee when her family escaped to the U.S. About eight years ago, she discovered Anya and Slava’s incredible painted figurines and was so moved by them because they reminded her of her home. The four of us then began working on an animated project based on Slava and Anya’s art when, Russia invaded.
We quickly learned that, despite the war, Anya and Slava were choosing to stay behind to continue recording the stories of their lives within the glaze of their work. We knew animation would be the soul of this documentary. As Anya says in the film, painting is “her language” and we all felt to see it in motion would allow the audience access to her inner world, her feelings, and her ideas. Additionally, animation would take the audience to places that we could not bring a camera: to Anya and Slava’s peaceful past in Crimea, the horrible, traumatic first days of the invasion, and their dreams of the future for a peaceful Ukraine.
Why do you think 2D animation works so well in this project?
Brendan: 2D animation, in our minds, was the only choice for this project. 2D can deeply activate the audience’s imagination. It is an invitation to step into another world. I think it’s also a bit paradoxical that two-dimensionality itself can inspire the audience to see even more within deceptively simple brushstrokes and designs, because they leave room for us to imagine and feel. In this way, they can contain immense depth, character and emotion.
From an aesthetic standpoint, 2D animation was also the best match to Anya’s paintings on the surface of the figurines, because stylistically, we knew if we could collaborate with the right group of animators on the film, it could feel as if Anya’s paintings themselves were coming to life. We were incredibly lucky to work with the magnificent artists at BluBlu Studios. They brought remarkable creativity and faithfulness to animating Anya’s paintings. They even requested photographs of 20 years’ worth of Anya’s work so that they could replicate the feeling of her brushstrokes, characters and tiny worlds.
Can you detail the process? How long did it take to produce the animation (three animated segments which in total are six minutes long)?
Gabriela Jabłońska: When it comes to the production process, it took us about a year from our first meeting with Brendan and Aniela to delivering the final animation files. A big chunk of that was spent on the testing phase and developing a workflow for this project. For the first few weeks, we studied Anya’s style, conducted extensive tests, and figured out the most efficient way to approach the animation. Then we created stories for each segment.
Jędrzej Skrzypczyk: The starting point was always Anya’s illustration on the figurine and a scene outline, and from there, we developed our concept. After that, we moved on to the most time-consuming, but also the most exciting phase of production — creating the illustrations and bringing them to life through animation.
Which animation tools were used in the process?
Gabriela: For that project we had a dedicated team of several illustrators and over a dozen animators. When it comes to the tools used, illustrations were done in Photoshop, cel animation in Toon Boom Harmony, compositing and additional 2D animation in After Effects and some 3D work in Cinema 4D.
What were the highlights for you? What did you love about this project?
Jędrzej: Honestly, everything. We were blown away by Anya’s work, and — when we first heard the story behind it and also the concept for the film — it was a no-brainer for us and an immediate “yes, we’re in!“. While working on the project, we felt increasingly connected to its story — we shared the emotions, the pain, and the resilience within it.
Gabriela: There was something profoundly beautiful about the closeness that art can create, even though we were physically distant from most of the team. This project brought people together from all over the world — from Ukraine, through Poland, to the United States and Australia.
What do you hope audiences take away from Porcelain War?
Brendan: We hope audiences will take away from this film that Porcelain War is not just about Ukraine. It’s about all of us. About what we are capable of in the darkest of times. It’s about people’s ability to put good back into the world, to create, even when everything is being destroyed and all hope seems to be lost. This bravery and beauty of people is captured through the eyes of incredible artists, who risked everything to share their story with the world. It is urgent now more than ever.
Jędrzej: Porcelain War captures how brave and resilient the Ukrainian nation is, and also – how important a role art can play in our lives. The figurines we see in the movie are in fact tiny and delicate, yet they convey a powerful message. Anya and Slava keep making their art no matter what. They keep going and in a way it makes them stronger. That’s what I think is beautiful about this connection of war and art. You can be delicate, but you can be powerful.
Porcelain War has earned 48 awards and recognitions, including two Critics Choice nominations and a Producers Guild Awards nomination for best documentary producer. The film has also been shortlisted for the Documentary Feature Film category at the 97th Oscars. Learn more at porcelainwar.com.
