Serhiy Mykhalchuk

For Serhiy Mykhalchuk, the camera has always been a tool of truth and storytelling. Before the war, his lens crafted poetic, visually striking cinema, earning him international acclaim. Today, it captures the raw, unfiltered struggle for Ukraine’s survival — a shift that reflects the stark collision between culture and war. A master cinematographer, Mykhalchuk’s films — including Mamay, Illusion of Fear, Parajanov, Guide, Wild Field, and Dovbush — have defined Ukrainian cinema, with four Oscar nominations and the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for Under Electric Clouds (2015). His work blends painterly composition with profound emotional depth, transforming film into a mirror of society’s inner struggles. But on February 24, 2022, the story changed. Mykhalchuk joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, trading film sets for the frontline. Yet, even in war, he never put down his camera. His project Culture vs. War emerged as a powerful chronicle of this reality—an urgent dialogue between destruction and creativity, between the past and the present. Through it, he captures the resilience of a nation that refuses to be silenced, proving that art does not cease in times of war — it becomes even more vital. His recent work straddles the intersection of art and wartime journalism, blurring the line between cinematic storytelling and brutal truth. Each frame is a moment suspended in history, bearing witness to a reality too urgent to ignore. Whether crafting epic cinematic landscapes or documenting the harrowing beauty of resistance, Mykhalchuk’s art remains a tribute to the power of the human spirit — to endure, to fight, and to never stop seeing.