A few miles away from the war zones, lies the village of Nijné Sélitché, its network of farms, and those who flee the war. Here, in Ukrainian Transcarpathia, the long-lasting utopia of Longo Maï is faced with chaos.
In Provençal, Longo Maï means “that lasts a long time”. Since the 1970s, more than 200 people of all ages have been learning, experimenting and working together to build a more sustainable future. During this time, Longo Maï has built an archipelago of self-managed and agricultural communities that defend sustainable farming against agro-industry. But since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the community has had to deal with the emergency of the conflict. Solidarity has set in: a total of 1,000 war refugees are now sheltered, fleets of minibuses are being chartered to provide food, medicine and equipment to the east of the country, while others evacuate those who want to flee to the west. Here, as everywhere in Ukraine, everything is a matter of urgency. How do those who have chosen to live in the utopia “that lasts a long time” cope with the chaos?

From the collection UTOPIAS?

Directed by Henri Poulain
Written by Lauren Boudard, Julien Goetz, Sylvain Lapoix and Henri Poulain

Produced by Premières lignes & StoryCircus
French broadcaster: France.tv Slash
International sales: CLPB Rights

Festivals

Le Grand Bivouac (2023) – Selection (International Solidarity Section)