documentary project
Nelia, a 40-year-old cultural activist, lives in the village of Kozubivka in the Poltava Region. She is developing her museum manor “Omelko’s House” dedicated to the rural dialect, traditions, and life. Nelia’s 33-year-old husband Sashko has taken over household duties. The couple goes on expeditions to abandoned villages and garbage dumps, where they find items of traditional rural life. The spouses have children from previous marriages; they do not plan to have a child together. They focus on Nelia’s mission: to research and promote local traditions almost destroyed during the Soviet era. Because of the war in Ukraine, millions of people have to leave their homes. A group of people from Kharkiv, fleeing from constant shelling, find shelter in Kozubivka. Nelia and Sashko accommodate them in the museum. Nelia has to move the exhibits to her own house. Nelia and Sashko decide to become foster parents in order to give at least one child a chance for a normal childhood. A commission inspects the house to check the conditions in which the child will live. The commission requires enlarging the living space: Nelia needs to take the exhibits away. At the school for foster parents, Nelia and Sashko meet another married couple. Nelia and Sashko go to another village to visit them. They meet their 13-year-old son Dima, who has similar interests as Nelia. With a metal detector, Dima finds and collects items of rural life. Dima has never been to a museum in his life. In the spring, a foster child arrives to Nelia and Sashko. Nelia stops working at the museum, taking care of the child. She tries to resume expeditions, involves Dima, and teaches him to evaluate exhibits. Nelia has no place to store exhibits; humidity and time are destroying them. Sasha lacks attention and help from Nelia. She tries to balance family and work and draws attention to the problems of small home museums.
PROJECT TEAM
HALYNA LAVRYNETS, scriptwriter
Ukrainian director and cultural manager. Born in 1991 in Kaniv, Cherkasy Oblast. In 2014, she graduated from Kyiv National Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Film, and Television University (Documentary Film Directing). In 2016–2017, she studied in Wajda School at documentary program DOC PRO. Member of Ukrainian Guild of Directors and Ukrainian Film Academy. Since 2015, she’s an active member of #BABYLON'13 association. Selected filmography: 2022 – Culture Preservers – Tango for – social video series Displaced Persons. Rethinking for BABYLON'13 – Confession -8 Festivals: 44th KIFF Molodist 2013 – Festivals: Pokrov Film Festival (Kyiv, Ukraine)
OLEKSANDRA BRATYSHCHENKO, producer
Ukrainian producer and festival manager. Graduated from Kyiv National Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Film, and Television University. Since 2015, producer at #BABYLON'13 association. In 2019, she participated in EAVE on Demand. In 2020, founded her own production company ELERON PICTURES. Member of Ukrainian Guild of Non-Fiction Film and Ukrainian Film Academy.
Producer:
F**ing Sensibility, dir. Tetiana Symon (development)
Guests from Kharkiv, dir. Halyna Lavrynets (development)
2023 – Company of Steel, documentary, dir. Yuliia Hontaruk (post-production)
2022 – Fragile Mamory, documentary, dir. Ihor Ivanko 2016 – Crimea, as it were, documentary, dir. Kosntiantyn Kliatskin
Executive producer, ForeFilms:
2023 – U Are the Universe, fiction, dir. Pavlo Ostrikov (development)
2022 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg, fiction, dir. Anton Lukich
2022 – Rock. Paper, Grenade, fiction, dir. Iryna Tsilyk