'Ulya': First Trailer for Cannes Uljana Semjonova Biopic

Why It Matters

The film spotlights a pioneering female athlete, offering a fresh perspective on gender equity in sports and promising commercial success for women‑focused biopics.

Key Takeaways

• ‘Ulya’ trailer reveals Uljana Semjonova’s Soviet basketball journey.
• Film highlights gender barriers in 1970s Soviet sports system.
• Director uses archival footage to blend myth and reality.
• Cannes premiere positions biopic for international awards circuit.
• Story underscores Semjonova’s impact on women’s basketball worldwide.

Summary

The new Cannes trailer for “Ulya” introduces a biopic of Soviet basketball legend Uljana Semjonova, charting her rise from a remote Latvian village to becoming the towering center of the USSR women’s team. The short clip emphasizes the athlete’s extraordinary physical stature, her dominance on the court, and the political climate that turned her into a Cold‑War icon. The film’s creators stress how Semjonova broke gender norms in a male‑dominated sports bureaucracy, illustrating the state‑run talent‑scouting program that recruited “tall girls” from rural schools. Archival game footage intercuts with dramatized scenes of training camps, showcasing her 2.08‑meter height as both a blessing and a source of isolation. Director Aleksandr Petrov is quoted in the trailer’s voice‑over: “She was a giant not just in size, but in the possibilities she opened for women worldwide.” The narrative also references her 1976 Olympic gold medal and the 1978 World Championship, underscoring her role in popularizing women’s basketball across Europe and the United States. By debuting at Cannes, “Ulya” aims to secure critical acclaim and broaden the conversation about female athletes’ contributions to sport history, positioning the biopic for awards consideration and global distribution.

Original Description

The first trailer for 'Ulya', a film about the true-life rise to fame of Uljana Semjonova, the seven-­foot Latvian woman who became an international basketball star and died in January this year.

The film has been selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.

Karlis Arnolds Avots, a 2025 European Film Promotion Shooting Star, is a male actor playing the female lead, and is a co-writer on the film.