Ella Shtyka

My Dad Is a Lightning Researcher

A documentary film reflection. A daughter attempts to decipher and memorize the "universe of her dad," a lightning researcher, whom, as it turned out after his death, she never fully got to know. Neither he nor his lasting legacy. This is her attempt to think about how long our memory lasts about the people who meant something to us, who did something and created something next to us. The film attempts to fix the fleeing clues of memory in time to keep it longer. And, of course, she attempts to remember everything or at least something he was for her.

The View From The Window

Ruslana Abrosimova, 17 years old, lives in Mariinka, Donetsk region. Now Ruslana is in an unconditional state of war and is struggling every day with her desire to go out on the street or to stay at home, safe, in her room. War in Ukraine rages for more than five years already. Still, teens never cease to think about studying, discovering new cities and their bright future. Conflict occurs at every step as soon as the children open their room doors. That`s why Ruslana decided to take her camera and start to film her reality.

No Status. Ukraine

Russian citizens who rebelled against the authoritarian policy of Moscow are seeking asylum in Ukraine. Are they welcomed here? We follow political refugee from Russia Alexey Vetrov who tries to get refugee status in Ukraine. Despite all the burdens of living with no documents, he works and participates many civil actions. The escape of Nurkhan, a journalist, was forced by her covering the so-called Osh massacre in Kyrgyzstan. Now she and her three teenage daughters are seeking for asylum in Ukraine.

Illusion

This absurd story began in Kherson, Ukraine. Young people create a cultural centre to protect the oldest cinema in the city. But the land at the centre of this city attracts officials and deputies; they want to free up the territory and start a war against the cultural activists.

The Fighter's Song

A soldier writes a poem during the fighting in Eastern Ukraine. The author is looking for a musician to transform the poem into a song and turns to his dad, who lives in Russia, on the Kamchatka peninsula.

Exarch

A young Orthodox priest, fed up with too much intolerance and hypocrisy at the Kyiv Pechery Lavra, decides to leave his service there. He finds for himself a new flock: gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people as well as those living with HIV/AIDS. However, the official Orthodox Church denies them in the right to be Christians and homophobic society compels them to hide their sexual orientation. What has to happen to make the Church embower LGBT believers?