Yuliya Stratovich
Simple Questions
Short documentary film, 7’39’’
2023

“Simple Questions” was filmed in Gdańsk as part of the project Steel and Water,
which investigates memory, fragility, and the dynamics of port cities. The film,
initially conceived as a gallery-based work, developed into an autonomous
short documentary.

The work records brief street encounters, where residents of Gdańsk respond

to simple questions about freedom, love, and happiness. These dialogues,
captured in black-and-white with minimal cinematic means, transform
everyday conversations into reflections on the social and emotional
conditions of urban life.
For me, film operates in direct dialogue with painting and installation. It
extends my practice into the temporal dimension, allowing me to explore
gesture, silence, and the rhythm of human presence within changing urban
environments. This approach will be further developed at Rijksakademie in
Amsterdam, where the harbor and its layered histories provide an ideal
context for continuing this line of research.

Screenings:

LANE DOC FEST (Tennessee, USA, 2023)
Lift-Off First-Time Filmmaker Sessions (UK, 2024)
Sofia International Film Festival (Bulgaria, 2024