Pit No. 8 / Auk nr 8

Snizhne, a Ukrainian mining town that thrived during Soviet-era occupation, is today plagued by crushing poverty. The town’s desperate residents decided to start mining illegally; they excavate everywhere: under the basements of demolished buildings, in the leisure parks, as well as in their own vegetable gardens.

The story focuses on the Sikanov family, which has three children. 15-year-old Yura is the head of the family working as a miner in the illegal pit. Most Jura wants to run his own cafe somewhere far from home, but the responsibility for the two sisters and looming economic crisis pushes his dreams in the distant future.

Trailer

Details

Country of Production
Estonia, Ukraine

Year of Production
2011

Format
HD, DCP, Digi Beta Pal

Length
58 / 95 min

Director
Marianna Kaat

Production
Baltic Film Production in co-production with Interfilm Production Studio

Original Language
Russian

Subtitles
English

Festivals / Awards

Tallinn Black Nights FF 2010 (Special Mention)
One World IDF Bukarest 2011
Cape Winelands FF South Africa 2011
Crossing Europe FF Linz 2011
ZagrebDox 2011 (Movies That Matter Special Mention)
Full Frame IDF 2011 (The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award and The Nicholas School Environmental Award)
Hot Docs Toronto 2011
DOXA Vancouver 2011
Cronograf IDF Chisinau 2011
Vilnius IDF 2011
1001 Documentary FF Istanbul 2011
Aye Aye FF Nancy 2011
DOCSDF Mexico 2011
Flahertiana IDF Perm 2011 (Silver Nanook)
Cottbus IFF 2011
Minsk IFF LISTOPAD 2011 (Special Jury Prize in Int. Comp.)
Odeassa IFF 2017