On the last day of their holiday in Tenerife, a Ukrainian family receives the devastating news that Russia has invaded Ukraine. With no way of returning home to Kyiv, the island paradise suddenly takes on a new shape. From being tourists, the family are now refugees. Their teenage daughter Sofia, brilliantly portrayed by Sofia Berezovska, spends her evenings wandering the streets, searching for ways to pass the time. She calls her friends back home and struggles to grasp the situation, a difficult task for someone caught between childhood and adulthood. One night, Sofia meets Mike, another refugee on the island, but with a completely different background and story, an encounter that offers new perspectives.

Damien Kocur returns to UEFF after his debut film Bread and Salt, which we screened in 2023. Under the Volcano has won audience awards at several film festivals worldwide and was Poland’s official Oscar submission in 2024. A film that easily recalls the tense dramaturgy of Ruben Östlund and the emotional depth of Amanda Kernell’s Charter.

– Mia Rogersdotter Gran