La Palisiada

Intricate murder investigation shows the barbarism of capital punishment, the decline of rule of law, and the general alienation of Ukraine in the nineties, in multifaceted, formalistically fascinating, and smashing debut.

Ukraine declared it's independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, but the first decade was more characterized by a post-Soviet limbo than hastened democratic reforms. A time and zeitgeist masterfully captured using a mix of VHS aesthetics and other techniques. The year is 1996, a couple of months before Ukraine finally abolish capital punishment, and two investigators are trying to gain clarity in the circumstances surrounding the murder of a police officer. But is there really anyone who cares whether the suspect actually is guilty, or is it just a matter of getting someone convicted and executed? La Palisiada is a bold and emphatic noir, and a clear-sighted flashback to a time that still echoes today.

• Johan Blomqvist