Dark but free

letters from kyiv

“...and you just want to take all their feelings and all of the images they've seen onto yourself so that they can forget...”

— Yeva

contribute to this crowdfunding effort

Thanks to your support I was able
to shoot for two more weeks in kyiv!

I Appreciate that all of you believe in this!

»

«

Dear friends,

I'm reaching out to you because I want to share more about the project I started to work on, when I travelled to Kyiv in February. On the way there I was developing some ideas that have since evolved into a film project, currently bearing the working title "Dark but Free - Letters from Kyiv," which explores the impact of the Russian invasion on young Ukrainians in Kyiv during the first 12 months of the war.

The main goal of the project was to create a space where Ukrainians could freely express their thoughts and feelings, which they right now often avoid and suppress themselves, even in front of close ones.

Instead of traditional interviews, the participants were asked to imagine the most honest letter they could write to their friends abroad. What would they really want to tell a person who deeply cares about them?

During the filming itself I tried to disappear as much as possible, leaving the participants alone with the camera whenever possible. This approach created a unique and intimate experience and the resulting "video letters" capture raw and honest emotions, engage the audience, and create a deeper connection with the characters and their stories. The material I have filmed so far speaks for itself with its honesty and energy.

“And after the war you'll walk and travel proudly around your country, and you'll clearly understand it's value and how much effort it cost you - and you love it.”

— Alina

I have completed a significant part of the filming process, but to fully capture the essence of the project,
I need to return to Kyiv as soon as possible and film additional stories that will complete the missing pieces of the puzzle. This needs to be done quickly because the time frame of the film is the first year since the invasion began, and I need to get most of the remaining material before spring fully sets in or at least before summer.

Therefore, I am trying to crowdfund 600 EUR to finance a two-week supplementary shoot in Kyiv. (Update: the crowdfund was a success! Thank you!)

I chose crowdfunding for this due to the time sensitivity of the project, while I plan to turn to other funds with stricter and longer application approval processes for future production stages.

I’ve rarely been more motivated to finish a film, as I think it’s vital that we make Ukrainian voices authentically heard. I’m sure you’re aware that my inspiration stems from my deepening connection to Ukrainian culture, its people, amongst who I have many friends, and the language, in which I have now achieved a level of semi-fluency.

Any help you can offer would mean the world to me, and my film subjects as well, who would be happy to see this project come to life.

The budget is covering transportation, accommodation and two weeks of living expenses, nothing more.

Here’s the link to the crowdfunding page, where you can donate also anonymously, if you’d wish.

Thank you so much for reading.

- Eduard

“The more vulnerable this space became, the more rockets flew in, the more explosions, the more destruction, ... The more love I felt for it. And it's not pity; it's love.”

— Mariia

Update: I managed to film the rest of the material and am now working on the editing of the film, whenever time allows for it!

In addition to the video letters concept, I am thinking of other ways in which this film can function as a platform for us to listen to Ukrainians. A central objective of the movie is to utilize my diverse skill set, be it filmmaking, empathy, or facilitation, to establish an environment where Ukrainians are able to open up and share their stories, allowing us to better understand their spirit and motivation to fight, perhaps more than ever before.

At the moment, I am exploring the possibility of collaborating with Ukrainian artists, composers or even
a dramaturgist. If you have any contacts or suggestions in this regard, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

“You stand in the kitchen, scrolling through Tinder, making yourself coffee, the air raid alarm goes off and there's an explosion. Five kilometers away from you. And you continue to scroll through tinder and to make yourself coffee. I mean, Five kilometers is a lot. But in this moment, someone died.”

— Vitalik