DIRT (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Lada Kopytova’s DIRT is an 11-minute drama about an elderly Ukrainian refugee whose attempt to bring a jar of Ukrainian soil into the United Kingdom leads to a Customs stop. Set against war, displacement and questions of homeland, the film uses a tightly focused premise.

DIRT is a short drama written and directed by Lada Kopytova. Its story centers on an elderly Ukrainian refugee trying to carry a jar of Ukrainian soil into the United Kingdom after war breaks out.

The Customs encounter gives the film a focused setting for its exploration of homeland, displacement and the personal meaning attached to a place left behind. The production is connected to both the United Kingdom and Ukraine, with dialogue in Ukrainian, Polish and English.

DIRT movie details

Story without spoilers

After the outbreak of war, an elderly Ukrainian refugee is stopped by Customs while attempting to enter the UK with a jar of soil from Ukraine. The situation places a deeply personal object at the center of an official border encounter, framing the story around refuge, belonging and separation from home.

The available synopsis keeps the film’s conflict deliberately contained: one traveler, one object and an institutional checkpoint. It does not reveal how the encounter develops or what ultimately happens to the characters.

What to expect

DIRT is a compact drama with an 11-minute runtime and a premise built around displacement and homeland. Its keywords—refugee, homeland, displacement and war—indicate a story concerned with the emotional and practical consequences of leaving one’s country during conflict.

The Customs setting suggests a concentrated narrative rather than a broad wartime account. Viewers can expect the film to work through a specific border situation involving an elderly Ukrainian refugee, while its multilingual format brings together Ukrainian, Polish and English.

Cast and creative team

Lada Kopytova serves as both director and writer. The cast includes Olena Khokhlatkina as Valentyna, Oksana Zhdanova as Nataliia, Diana Zamojska as Anna and Reuben Watney as Johnny.

• Olena Khokhlatkina as Valentyna
• Oksana Zhdanova as Nataliia
• Diana Zamojska as Anna
• Reuben Watney as Johnny

Release and production context

DIRT is listed as a 2026 drama with a release date of November 13, 2026. Its runtime is 11 minutes. The film is associated with the United Kingdom and Ukraine and features spoken Ukrainian, Polish and English.

Production companies listed for the film are RESIDENCY FILMS, Marauder Pictures, Kinotron Group and Decentralized Pictures. The supplied listing identifies the film’s status as Released.

Production companies: RESIDENCY FILMS, Marauder Pictures, Kinotron Group, Decentralized Pictures

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime and sharply defined premise, DIRT focuses on a single Customs encounter to address the ideas of home, refuge and wartime displacement. Its UK-Ukrainian production background and three-language format provide additional context for this concise drama without revealing the outcome of the story.

Film data:
TMDB