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George Yonemori

U Look Lonely: U Are the Universe at TIFF 2024

Photo Courtesy of TIFF: Pavlo Ostrikov

Directed by: Pavlo Ostrikov

Cast: Volodymyr Kravchuk, Daria Plahtiy, Alexia Depicker, Leonid Popadko


Do you ever feel like everyone is far away from you? In November 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a global health concern, comparing its effects to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. People today turn to AI partners to have someone who cares how their day went. Others forgo connection for an unrealistic, materialistic lone wolf mindset. Connection is scary because you could get rejected or abandoned. Long-distance relationships allow people to use their imaginations to fill in gaps and create an ideal partner. And you can run away when you get scared or disappointed.


Made during the ongoing war, Ukrainian writer/director Pavlo Ostrikov tackles loneliness with his masterful romantic sci-fi dramedy U Are the Universe. Space garbage man Andriy (Volodymyr Kravchuk) voyages to Jupiter’s moon to dump humanity’s nuclear waste—a four-year round trip. Andriy’s only companion is a robot named Maxim, voiced by Leonid Popadko, who keeps him safe with jokes only a robot could write. This dystopic future has our excessive nuclear power use causing deadly earthquakes and radiation. The Earth explodes, and Andriy grapples with being the last human in the universe until he gets a voice message from Catherine (Alexia Depicker), a French woman on another space station.


Firstly, this film’s retrofuturism is aesthetically gorgeous. Everything is designed with fine attention to detail, from the ship to Maxim's movements and digital expression. The set looks like how a space garbage truck should. I particularly loved the environmental storytelling in Andriy’s room. The score and use of Desireless’ “Voyage voyage” elicit melancholy for a dead world. A comedic highlight is his pretending to interview himself on a radio show and mocking those who didn’t appreciate him. Both Kravchuk and Popadko are phenomenal actors. You can see the light go out in Andriy’s eyes when he realizes he will die beside ChatGPT before glowing with hope again when Catherine calls. Catherine, voiced by Depicker and played by Daria Plahtiy, injects vivid humanity into the film. Cinematographer Nikita Kuzmenko deserves special mention. The gorgeous final scene is a satisfying resolution to the film and a testament to what it means to be human. 

 

Ostrikov’s excellent writing deserves special mention. As someone who enjoys Eastern European art, I expected this film to be like Spike Jonze’s Her but more depressing. My favourite narrative choice is that the long-distance romance between Charlotte and Andriy is not for reproductive reasons. When I described the film’s concept to someone, they immediately guessed the exact ending I did. There are no spoilers here, but the filmmakers were ahead of the curve. It still got me in tears, though. I have never ugly cried so hard in a theatre before. I was ecstatic to write about this one because U Are the Universe is why I watch films and attend film festivals. A modestly budgeted bonafide work of art bursting with vision. I couldn’t believe this was Ostrikov’s debut feature film. I recommend this one if you can only see one film at TIFF. Bring your friends. 

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