Lower than two weeks after 20 Days in Mariupol gained the Oscar for Greatest Documentary Characteristic, one other essential movie about Ukraine has bowed on the world stage.
A Poem for Little Folks, directed by Ivan Sautkin, held its worldwide premiere Thursday at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. It screens once more on Saturday. In cinéma vérité fashion, the movie paperwork probably the most susceptible folks on entrance traces of the struggle in Ukraine, and the volunteers of an evacuation group who danger their lives to save lots of them.
“By its two parallel plotlines, the movie follows the exploits of a volunteer evacuation group within the entrance traces of Japanese Ukraine, led by younger, precociously stoic Anton, in addition to the wartime each day lives and unlikely friendship of two aged girls – pragmatic Zinaida and dreamy, starry-eyed Taisia – who determined to remain at their houses within the now de-occupied Chernihiv area,” in keeping with a synopsis of the documentary. “Whereas Anton faces probably the most visceral horrors of struggle every day throughout his group’s pressing, determined makes an attempt to rescue probably the most susceptible, who are sometimes reluctant or unwilling to depart, Zinaida and Taisia search to pursue any types of resistance inside their energy – from praying and writing poetry to hiding historic plaque and reporting intelligence to the Ukrainian army.”
In a press release, Sautkin mentioned, “In the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I, like most of my colleagues, was confused. The whole lot I used to be doing till that second misplaced its worth. The world of struggle is radically completely different from the whole lot we’re used to. My first response was to mobilize and decide up a gun, however I made the rational choice to select up my digital camera. I began with a sequence of brief documentaries. With their assist, I found a brand new actuality for myself.”
Sautkin continued, “After the de-occupation of the north of Ukraine, I went to the village the place my outdated pal Zinaida Lukyanenko lives. I used to be concerned with how she survived the troublesome occasions and discovered that in the course of the occupation she didn’t sit idly by however helped our army. I used to be struck by the braveness of this lady and it was from her story that my movie started. I keep up a correspondence with my characters within the movie, we additionally grew to become shut pals. I attempt to assist their mission as a lot as I can and sooner or later, I plan to return to the frontline territory to work with them. This film taught me many issues. Essentially the most beneficial expertise is the flexibility to understand folks no matter their views and different issues that distance us from one another.”
Producer Elena Saulich evacuated Ukraine, arriving within the U.Okay. when she was 9 months pregnant (she just lately celebrated the primary birthday of her son, Marko). “We’re honored to premiere our movie at CPH:DOX,” she mentioned. “The movie celebrates the braveness and resilience of unusual Ukrainians within the face of an unjust struggle, as civilians of all ages refuse to again down.”
“Ukrainians had their world turned the other way up over night time,” noticed co-producer Lisa Marie Russo. “A Poem for Little Folks displays on notions of dwelling, and why all of us want and deserve a secure area to dwell as a fundamental human proper. The movie connects audiences with this common idea and applauds Ukrainians as they proceed to reply with creativity, grace and fortitude in unimaginable circumstances.”
The documentary is a manufacturing of Babylon’13, in co-production with Nuline Kopija (Lithuania), Roastbeef Productions (U.Okay.) and Autofiction Movies (U.Okay.). Babylon’13, an affiliation of unbiased filmmakers, was fashioned in late 2013 at first of Maidan Revolution in Kyiv that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, who was intently allied with the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Maidan Revolution by annexing Crimea and fomenting a separatist insurrection in jap areas of Ukraine – a prelude to his full-scale invasion of the nation in February 2022.
A Poem for Little Folks held its world premiere on the Molodist Kyiv Worldwide Movie Competition. The documentary is produced by Elena Saulich and Ringaile Leščinskienė. Co-producers are Arturas Jevdokimovas (Nuline Kopija), Mike Lerner (Roastbeef Productions), and Lisa Marie Russo (Autofiction Movies). It’s a Ukraine, Lithuania & United Kingdom co-production.