From the Past is the Best Ukrainian Animated Film

The film was created as part of a studio assignment on the theme The Scent of Distant Lands during the winter semester of the 2022/23 academic year. The author was inspired by memories evoked by the smell of borscht, which her grandmother used to cook for her during summer vacations. In the film, Palamarchuk explores the concept of memories, which are never precise, are fleeting like lightning, and carry a hint of nostalgia and peace. Through hand-drawn animation, she captured moments one wishes to remember forever: a mother’s song, the clear sky above, and the certainty of tomorrow, knowing that a whole summer of fun is still ahead.

The author herself says about the film: "In a moment, you smell something familiar and realize it’s the scent of childhood. I wanted to translate the feelings of personal memories onto paper and create a mosaic of childhood moments through animation. One of the symbols of Ukrainian culture is borscht, and my grandmother always made it for me during summer vacations. It’s through its taste and smell that I delve deeper into my memories. While this film is personal, I firmly believe that every viewer will discover something for themselves in it."

Hanna Palamarchuk is originally from Ukraine. After graduating from high school in 2017, she decided to move to the Czech Republic. She earned her bachelor's degree in graphic design in 2022 at the Faculty of Art and Design of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Animation and Film at UMPRUM. She is currently preparing her graduation diploma film. From the Past was her very first animated film. It has also been screened at festivals such as Fest Anča in Slovakia, Viborg Animation Festival in Denmark, Anifilm, and Animánie in the Czech Republic.

At the awards ceremony on September 8th in Kyiv, Hanna's mother personally accepted the prize on her behalf from the festival’s program director Anastasiya Verlinska. Hanna, in addition to the award, also received financial support from Ukrainian animation studios. She decided to donate half of it to support children affected by the war in Ukraine, while the other half will be invested in the production of her new film.

The film is now available to watch online.  Congratulations to Hanna, and big thanks to the jury and the festival. This year, two other films from UMPRUM were also presented in the competition at the festival: The Fifth Floor (2023) by Tereza Burianová and Dacha (2023) by Iryna Babanina.

LINOLEUM International Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival