Screening: Rule of Two Walls

Rule of Two Walls is a powerful documentary by Ukrainian-American filmmaker David Gutnik. It offers a raw and intimate portrait of the war in Ukraine through the lens of local artists who remain in their homeland, using their craft as a form of resistance. The film sheds light on how musicians, visual artists, and filmmakers continue to create amidst the devastation, transforming artistic expression into a tool for survival and defiance in the face of cultural erasure.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Npio0_cfY

Drawing from his Ukrainian heritage, Gutnik examines the cultural and historical complexities of Ukrainian identity, shaped by centuries of domination and conflict. In this film, Gutnik captures the surreal juxtaposition of everyday life during war—where air raid sirens accompany morning tea, and art centers persist despite the destruction around them. Rule of Two Walls is both a visceral meditation on the role of art during wartime and a critical examination of the forces seeking to erase Ukrainian culture.

The event is sponsored by the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Program and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures