U Are the Universe

Australian Premiere

“Ukrainian filmmaker Pavlo Ostrikov finds the right ingredients for a genuinely affecting love story.” – Variety

Written and filmed during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, this prescient and powerfully genre-bending sci-fi journey observes a Ukrainian space trucker, Andriy Melnyk, who transports nuclear waste on his cargo ship to Jupiter's abandoned moon Callisto.

During a routine flight, the Earth explodes, and, adrift and alone, Andriy becomes the last person in the universe. That is, until a transmission from a faraway space station connects him with Catherine. The two lost souls develop a bond that inspires Andriy to try and find Catherine, despite the obstacles that separate them.

Taking place mostly in the spaceship's claustrophobic quarters, director Pavlo Ostrikov crafts a warm and engaging sci-fi romance that touches on the universal – love, loneliness, joy, sadness – as it confronts the cold vastness of deep space.

Festivals & Awards

Nominated for Best Film, People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024
Official Selection of the Thessaloniki Film Festival 2024