Sanatorium

This film is also showing at our sister cinema, Ritz Cinemas

Australian Premiere

Set within the imposing, brutalist walls of the Kuyalnik Sanatorium near Odesa, Gar O’Rourke’s Sanatorium (2025) is a poignant observational documentary that captures a summer of resilience. While the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages nearby, the facility serves as a surreal time capsule where patients and staff pursue healing through anachronistic Soviet-era treatments, including mud baths and electro-therapies. The film weaves together a tragicomic tapestry of human quirks, following a diverse cast that includes a wounded soldier, a woman seeking fertility cures, and a mother hoping to find a wife for her middle-aged son. Between the rhythmic rituals of wellness procedures and disco nights, the distant rumble of war and frequent air raid sirens serve as a constant, sobering backdrop. Ultimately, O'Rourke presents a deeply moving portrait of ordinary people reclaiming their dignity and community, offering an "oasis of respite" in an extraordinary time of conflict.

Rating

Unclassified 18+

Duration

90 min

Country

Ukraine

Language

Ukrainian (English subtitles)

Director

Gar O’Rourke