fiction feature film
Borders. Perhaps the most important word in a conversation about the present. There are different borders: state borders, economic borders, borders of consciousness, borders of morality, borders of generosity…
Evacuation temporarily determines the fate of a group of students from Ukraine. By a happy coincidence, they end up in Scotland. From now on, they will pursue their acting ambitions in Edinburgh, the city which hospitably agreed to host them.
At first, the whole group is settled in luxury apartments and houses of local volunteers. But unfortunately, hospitality also has its limits. After about a month of students living in the world of Harry Potter, the local authorities and relief center decide to transfer them to a juvenile correctional facility, in other words, a prison, with an entire block emptied.
And if the beginning of their journey was more reminiscent of Hogwarts, the rest will remind you of Azkaban… With educators instead of dementors, teachers instead of defense against the dark arts, and the harsh reality of emigration instead of magic.
Together with juvenile criminals, hooligans and illegals, they begin to work on a play and build shaky bridges between two different cultures. Either via inspiration or compulsion… And if you can temporarily revoke one’s freedom, you simply cannot deprive teenagers of their feelings and emotions.
PROJECT TEAM
ANTONIO LUKICH, scriptwriter
Graduated from Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Theatre, Cinema and Television University, workshop of Volodymyr Oseledchyk.
Selected filmography:
2015: It Was Showering in Manchester, nondocumentary short film
- Awarded for Best Short Film at the Odesa International Film Festival in 2016
2019: My Thoughts Are Silent, nondocumentary full-length film
- Special Jury Prize of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the East of the West 2019 competition.
- Grand Prix for Best Ukrainian Film, FIPRESCI award for Best Ukrainian Film, award for Best Acting of the Odesa Film Festival in 2019.
- Participant of film festivals in Vienna, Kilkenny, Cottbus, Trieste, and others.
- Golden Dzyga for Best Film in 2019, Best Actress, Discovery of the Year, Best Screenplay.
2022: Luxembourg, Luxembourg, nondocumentary full-length film
- Premiered in the official program of the Venice Film Festival, the Horizons program.
- Official program at the Toronto Film Festival in 2022, World Contemporary Cinema section.
ANNA YATSENKO, producer
Producer, director, and member of the European Film Academy and the Ukrainian Film Academy.
She was born on July 7, 1987, in Shcholkine, Crimea.
In 2018, she graduated with honors from Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Theatre, Cinema and Television University, major: Feature Film Directing, workshop of Borys Savchenko.
From 2017 to May 2020, she worked as a development producer at Limelight LLC. Since May 2020, she is a co-owner, producer, and director of Forfilms LLC.
Filmography:
2018: Eternity, short film, co-producer and director - awards: Saint Louis IFF; Leuven IFF
2021: Operator Victoria, short film, co-producer and director.
POFF Shorts, Palm Springs Short Fest, Odense IFF, Rhode Island IFF
2021: Reflection, dir. Valentin Vasyanovych; co-producer. Venice IFF, the main competition program
2022: Felix and Me, dir. Iryna Tsylyk; producer, Warsaw IFF in 2022
2022: Luxembourg, Luxembourg, dir. Antonio Lukich; producer – Venice IFF, Orizzonti, Toronto, Contemporary World Cinema