What mark does wartime leave on school life? Timestamp, which has won awards at international documentary festivals, poignantly captures a year in the lives of pupils and teachers in Ukraine, who are trying to live as normally as possible. Focused on a better future, they continue to fight every day for the fundamental right to education. ‘The pain of destruction and bright hope meet here,’ says a student in her graduation speech during the online proclamation. After her acclaimed fiction debut, the coming-of-age portrait Stop-Zemlia, director Kateryna Gornostai returns to her documentary roots. With a keen eye and a gentle heart, in a time marked by pain and hope.

Film Fest Gent is known for its strong curation of international cinema, with surprising discoveries, acclaimed authors and films that explore the boundaries of the medium.