Object 817
A film by Olga Lucovnicova
2024 | CREATIVE DOCUMENTARY | 21’ | WORLD PREMIERE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
A poetic journey into the most clandestine area of Russia, where the discovery of an alien unveils a deadly secret kept for decades, silently claiming the lives of local residents and causing mutations in their bodies from generation to generation.
CREDITS
Written & Directed by Olga Lucovnicova
Director of Photography Artur Sokolov, Olga Lucovnicova,
Victor Zavyalov, Vadim Vorontzov
Edited by Jan De Coster, Olga Lucovnicova
Original music by Matthias Dewilde
Sound design & mix Gedeon De Pauw, Theo Meewis, Joren Gorge
Color Grading Xavier Dockx
Produced by WHILE WE’RE HERE in co-production with VRT-KETNET
With the support from FLANDERS AUDIOVISUAL FUND (VAF), THE BELGAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAX SHELTER empowered by FLANDERS TAX SHELTER
TRAILER
FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS
OFFICIAL SELECTION SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, PARK CITY, UTAH, USA, 2024
WINNER JURY AWARD BEST FILM LEUVEN SHORTFILM FESTIVAL, BELGIUM, 2025
WINNER JURY AWARD BEST DOCUMENTARY LEUVEN SHORTFILM FESTIVAL, BELGIUM, 2025
OFFICIAL SELECTION ZAGREB DOX, CROATIA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION THESSALONIKI INT FILM FESTIVAL, GREECE, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION MAKE BELIEVE SEATTLE, USA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION INDIE SHORTFILM FESTIVAL, CHARLOTTESVILLE, USA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION GO SHORT, NIJMEGEN, NETHERLANDS, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION BUSAN INT SHORTFILM FESTIVAL, SOUTH-KOREA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION BIG APPLE FILM FESTIVAL AND SCREENPLAY COMPETITION, NEW YORK, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION TWO RIVERSIDES FILM AND ART FESTIVAL, WARSAW, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION DOX DC, WASHINGTON DC, US, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION MOLDOX, CHISINAU, MOLDOVA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION EASTERN NEIGHBOURS IFF, THE HAGUE, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION INTERACTION: SHORT DOCS FESTIVAL , POŽEGA, SERBIA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION CUT TO:GHENT, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION DENVER FILM FESTIVAL, USA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION ZINEBI, BILBAO, SPAIN, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION BEIJING INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION FESTIVAL FILM DOKUMENTER, YOGAKARTA, INDONESIA, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION UPPSALA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, FINLAND, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION SCHNIT WORLDWIDE SHORTFILMFESTIVAL, SAN JOSÉ / BUENOS AIRES, 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION FESTIVAL MUTOSCOPE, LYON, 2025
OFFICIAL SELECTION ISMAILIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, EGYPT, 2025
OFFICIAL SELECTION URANIUM FILM FESTIVAL, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, 2025
“The Flemish Competition Documentary award goes to an innovative, enigmatic and politically charged film that, through a very well achieved blend of archives, new and old footage from various sources, creates a standout cinematographic object that intertwines investigation, facts, speculation and haunting images, introducing a peculiar and paranormal tale to reveal a much larger secret. The award goes to Object 817, by Olga Lucovnicova.”
“Expect to see lots of OBJECT 817 on the circuit to come. It’s arguably the standout of the Sundance short docs in a strong year and an unsettlingly effective portrait of life and death in Russia...”
“This film is very well shot, it really captures the landscape in a very beautiful, particular way, really well framed. The other element in the terms of filmmaking is the sound design...the music, the sound and the camera movement put you on edge..”
“Object 817 is certainly a stellar entry in the festival, and stands out for its original treatment about a bit of almost forgotten history during the Soviet Union era in the Ural Mountains”
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Olga Lucovnicova (Moldova, 1991) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and researcher in the field of audiovisual arts, currently based in Belgium. She is a winner of the Golden Bear at the 71st Berlin International Film Festival, the 35th European Film Academy Awards, and many others. As a filmmaker, Olga is particularly interested in stories that can generate social change and create a platform for discussion. Her filming style combines observational cinema with poetic elements, where the key factors are human emotions and feelings. Through her films, Olga seeks to push the viewer to critical thinking and reflection about our world. Olga graduated from the DocNomads Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree in Documentary Directing and is currently working on her doctoral research project funded by the Flanders Research Foundation in Belgium. Her research interest lies in the intergenerational impact of Soviet cinema on memories and traumas of post-Soviet society, and she explores the power of first-person narration in addressing and contributing to the healing process of these complex issues.
