Documentary feature film "She" - a diary of military wives
UPD: Thanks to the funds raised by benefactors on the platform, the first stage of the filming process was implemented. Currently, the project team continues work on the film, so everyone who supported the project made a significant contribution to Ukrainian cinema. And the suffering and pain of Ukrainians experiencing war will be filmed forever, so that future generations remember the price Ukraine paid for Victory.
«She» – is a film about a woman's fate during war. But "she" is also the war itself, and Ukraine, and native land, and mother, and family, and dream. They are all feminine gender. The film is a diary of military wives. A documentary about 3 women waiting for their husbands from war. These are three love stories, three different dreams, three women of different ages and professions with different marriage periods, from different regions, from different ethnic communities, who after February 24th find themselves in one city (Bolhrad, Odesa region, Ukraine). Men love their wives, family, one already raised daughters, the second raises a small son, and the third only dreams of a child. But at the beginning of war, men had to choose between two most precious loves in life – to woman and family, and to Ukraine. In the end, they go to the front.
The viewer will observe their lives, the war in Ukraine, their relationships with children, relatives, dedication to volunteering, rest, their patience, overcoming stress, to finally, after victory, wait for return and long-awaited reunion. What will it be like? How long? What transformations will each couple go through? Will they manage to preserve their love and realize dreams? Or maybe someone will never return?
This is a story about great love for each other, for Ukraine, for family. Each military family is a small Ukraine they defend. Thanks to war, these things become identical. Ukraine becomes one big family. Meanwhile, women create a volunteer center and help the army, collect and transport humanitarian aid to men's positions, meet dead comrades, go through obstacles, believe in victory and dream of husbands' return, of meeting relatives, of new life after victory.
Through the entire story of three women we see the war in Ukraine and what great damage Russia causes to the country and destinies. The story's climax – victory and meeting of husbands, but nobody knows what will actually happen and when. God will be the film's director, and we will just record it. We are sure the world must see all these emotions, and we must film this for future generations. So that no one and never has the opportunity to rewrite the history of events happening to us today.
For now we plan to raise funds for the first filming period on the crowdfunding platform – «My City». Also planned to involve local businessmen in sponsorship, and appeal to several foundations for funding. For post-production we plan to appeal to State Cinema and UKF, as soon as possible or other grant programs.
Several filming periods are planned. In each we film three identical scenes in parallel, but mostly – Olena, from whom we lead the story, so we focus on her more. In film post-production there will also be parallel editing and the story itself will be parallel.
Planned to write script and definitely film the following:
- Girls' ordinary daily life, where viewer will see their relationships with family, citizens, strange and peculiar in its diversity city, news analysis, volunteer work, fairs, communication with people, interaction with children, with benefactors;
- Their trip to the front with food and other collected humanitarian cargo, quick meeting with husbands;
- Some important key family holidays, such as birthdays, or events – such as funeral of relatives, other important life steps, key solutions and turns of war and development of their story in it;
- Victory, end of war – their reaction, husbands' return home. God willing, all alive and unharmed.
- Life after victory – celebrating together, their conversations, leisure of each couple separately, their future plans and realization of dreams they voiced before (Olina's dream, for example, – will have to wait long – from pregnancy to birth). In this order filming will take place, in such chronology the script and story will be built in film editing.
Ukrainian premiere is planned at International Ethnographic Film Festival OKO in Bolhrad. There is great desire for Bolhrad to see this film first, as all our heroines are from this city. Then it could be Docudays, Molodist, (OIFF) Odessa International film festival, Kharkiv MeetDocs. In parallel we plan to submit film to many international world festivals accredited by FIAPF, such as Berlinale, IDFA, Flahertiana, CPH.DOX, Montreal, Warsaw IFF, Mar del Plata IFF, Cairo IFF, Ihlava film festival, Venice film festival, Sofia filmfest, Sofia bitingdoc, Camerimage and others. The world's attention is focused on war in Ukraine, so we hope for wide festival distribution of the film. Also, woman's fate interests many festivals with feminist narratives. Then we plan sales to Ukrainian and international TV channels, as well as online platform MEGOGO, where there are already two films by director Tetyana Stanieva.
