Film 'Rock, Scissors, Paper' about war in Ukraine wins BAFTA award

The film "Rock, Paper, Scissors" won the Best British Short Film award at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on Feb. 16.

The film was directed by Franz Bohm, a 26-year-old British man of German descent. It stars Ukrainian actors Oleksandr Rudynskyi, Serhii Kalantai, Yurii Radionov, and Oleksandr Yatsenko.

The plot is based on real events that happened during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The main character is an 18-year-old boy named Ivan, whose father has been working as a surgeon in the shelter since the first days of the Russian invasion. However, information about the shelter reaches the Russian troops. To protect his family and the wounded, Ivan joins the army and goes to the battlefield.

When Rudynskyi, who played the main character, received the award, he said he was dedicating it to Yevhen Svitlychnyi, a 29-year-old Ukrainian actor and a soldier who died in the Kharkiv sector of the front line on July 19, 2023.

"I dedicate this award to my friend Zhenya (Yevhen) Svitlychnyi, who died in the war five days before the start of filming. And to all those who defend my country and make it independent. Many thanks to BAFTA, and glory to Ukraine!" Rudynskyi said on the stage during the award ceremony.

The world premiere of the film took place in 2024 at the Show Me Shorts Film Festival.

In 2024, another film about the war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian documentary "20 Days in Mariupol," won an award for best documentary at the British Academy Film Awards.

The film was directed by Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov, who reached Mariupol with two Associated Press colleagues the day the full-scale invasion was launched and remained in the city for 20 days under heavy bombardment.