World Premiere of Ukrainian Film “Rotation” Took Place at the Film Festival Rotterdam

The Ukrainian film Rotation by director Maryna Er Horbach premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and is scheduled for release in Ukraine in 2026.

At the Film Festival Rotterdam, the world premiere of Rotation, a film by Ukrainian director Maryna Er Horbach, took place. The film was produced as part of The Displacement Film Fund, established by two-time Academy Award winner and actress Cate Blanchett. The film was first screened at the festival on January 30, and its Ukrainian premiere is planned for 2026. Rotation tells the story of a young Ukrainian woman who joined the military and is now searching for support in her new reality.

According to Ukrinform, Cate Blanchett personally attended the event. Director and screenwriter Maryna Er Horbach, known for her feature film Klondike, presented Rotation alongside four other directors who also participated in Blanchett’s initiative.

“What impressed me the most was how five films, created independently from each other, together formed a shared emotional experience — for both the audience and all the creators. During the premiere, we ourselves were also viewers: we saw each other’s work only on the day of the screening,” said Er Horbach.

According to her, the next morning after the premiere, the other directors of the Displacement project thanked her for deepening their understanding of Ukraine and Ukrainian soldiers.

“During the war, an image is formed of superhuman people, hardened against emotional pain. This is understandable — because only in this way can one move toward victory and find partners. But while watching Rotation, they seemed to find themselves inside the body of a person just as unaccustomed to death and the trials of war as they are, as any normal person would be. That was the whole point. This is also my answer to the question I am asked so often: ‘How do you feel?’” Er Horbach noted.

She added that the teams entered the theater as separate films, but left as a single, unified project. “Cate Blanchett very aptly noted that together we contributed to preserving humanity, which is also on the verge of being lost,” director Maryna Er Horbach shared after the premiere.

The Displacement Film Fund project involved five directors from around the world, including Locarno Film Festival laureate Mo Harawe (The Village next to Paradise) from Somalia, Golden Bear and Cannes Jury Prize winner Mohammad Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig) from Iran, Hassan Kattan from Syria, Shahrbanoo Sadat from Afghanistan, and Sundance Best Director Award winner Maryna Er Horbach from Ukraine. Each filmmaker received a €100,000 grant to produce a film reflecting on the theme of displacement.

As reported, from February 26, Anton Shtuka’s documentary The Last Prometheus of Donbas will be released in Ukrainian cinemas.

International Film Festival Rotterdam is held annually in various cinemas across Rotterdam. First organized in June 1972, it is considered one of Europe’s most prestigious film festivals, alongside Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno. Known for showcasing innovative films, it has introduced the world to auteur directors such as Christopher Nolan.