documentary projects
This documentary studies a relevant phenomenon in contemporary Ukrainian culture against the backdrop of the war against Ukrainians, their freedom and the happiness of their children.
This musical film follows the life of the manifesting composer Anton Baibakov, who raises the issue of Moscow propaganda in art. With his soundtrack to Mikhail Kaufman's propaganda documentary from 1931, Anton added a premonition of catastrophe. The film focuses on the regions of Ukraine where the Soviet authorities artificially organized the famine of 1932-33, leading to the death of millions of Ukrainians, including the protagonists of the silent film. History repeats itself - the same regions are now occupied and drowned in blood, and Moscow's propaganda does not cease.
The project "Timeless Trip" becomes relevant, gains momentum and goes on tour. The new journey is a source of inspiration for Anton. With his spontaneous but conscious approach to life, Anton embodies resistance to "propaganda" as the manipulation of people. After being separated from his wife, child and friends, after the shock of human losses, volunteering and creative stagnation, Anton finds the strength to make music again. He digests all the emotional hell of war and spreads the love and beauty of music in response. How does he do it? What fuels this furnace?
This film is also a portrait of contemporary artistic Ukraine, revealing artists' creative and philosophical sentiments in a country in crisis, where the war has not stopped raging since 2014.
PROJECT TEAM
IRENA STETSENKO, scriptwriter
Irena Stetsenko graduated from the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theater, Film and Television in 2000. She also completed the Serhiy Bukovsky Film Workshop program in 2017. Before making her debut with Roses. Film-Cabaret, she went through a path of self-discovery in sound engineering, from organizing television broadcasting to producing music documentaries and sound production for musical projects. Her debut feature-length documentary Roses. Film-Cabaret was presented at DOCUDAYS UA in March 2021 and had its international premiere at Sheffield DocFest. Currently, it is touring the festival circuit. The film will be released in Ukrainian cinemas next fall.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY:
Roses. Film-Cabaret (2021)
VITALIY SHEREMETIEV, producer
Vitaliy Shermetiev is a producer with 25 years of experience in film and advertising.
He is the executive producer and CEO of ESSE Production House.
FILMOGRAPHY:
- Stop-Zemlia (fiction, 2021), dir. Kateryna Hornostai (Berlinale Generation 14+, Crystal Bear Youth Jury Award);
- Collapse. How Ukrainians Destroyed the Evil Empire (documentary, 2021), dir. Serhiy Lysenko (TV mini-series for Hromadske TV Channel of Ukraine);
- Breaking into Baikonur (documentary, 2020), dir. Angel Angelov (Kharkiv meet Docs 2020 Audience Award, Artdocfest 2021 Special Mention);
- Demon (documentary, 2020), dir. Yegor Troyanovsky (Kharkiv MeetDocs Festival. FIPRESCI Award for the best feature at the Odesa International Film Festival 2020);
- The Parthenon (fiction, 2019, Lithuania-Ukraine-France coproduction), dir. Mantas Kvedaravičius (Venice International Film Critics' Week Official Selection);
- Anna (short, 2019, Ukraine-UK-Israel coproduction), dir. Dekel Berenson (Shortlisted at Cannes Film Festival, TIFF, BIFA, BAFTA);
- Phase (short, 2021), dir. Nickolay Zaseev (Short shorts Film Festival & Asia, Tokyo '22);
- The Circus (short, 2019) dir. Maksym Ksyonda (Kyiv International Film Festival nominee);
- Izaokas (fiction, 2019, Lithuania-Ukraine coproduction), dir. Jurgis Matulevičius