The stories of Those Who Stayed

House with the star

Written by Anastasiia Lodkina, directed by Katya Tsarik and starring Vyacheslav Dovzhenko and Viktor Zhdanov

A world-famous singer, known as his drag persona Verka Serduchka, does not run or hide from the war. Instead, he stays home alone in the very centre of Kyiv, where he live-streams every day and becomes the public symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

Family

Written by Anastasiia Lodkina, directed by Aleksey Yesakov and starring Kateryna Varchenko, Roman Lutskyi and Taras Tsymbaliuk

Olga, her two kids, her husband and her ex-husband have to live together in a tiny one-room apartment. They try hard to survive and not to kill each other in the process.

Moms

Written and directed by Tala Prystaetska and starring Oksana Zhdanova, Antonina Khyzhniak and Oleksandr Ladyka

Of course, safety was the top priority, not least because a child was among the leading actors on her episode, while she also couldn’t shoot scenes from a drone or at a real hospital. Care and attention were also paid to the residents in neighbouring buildings to ensure they weren’t disturbed by the production more than was necessary.

But for Prystaetska, the chance to take part in Those Who Stayed was an opportunity to tell stories about ordinary people in the most astonishing circumstances, and to bring viewers closer to the situation millions of people in Ukraine have faced over recent months.

“It is not about extraordinary people. It’s just about people who can live next to you, and maybe you could be in their place,” she says. “Everyone can understand what it is to feel in danger, to feel uncomfortable or scared. We talk about very understandable emotions. Yes, the reason is war, but it could be anything. That’s why I think it can be relatable for a lot of people.”

“We hope everyone will truly see us, free people of a free country,” adds Lodkina. “They will see that Ukraine is part of the European family, and not the little sister of the abusive neighbour state, as we ourselves and others have been convinced for many years before. They will see that we have great talent – writers, directors, actors. So let’s win first and let’s continue to be friends. Let’s make films, not war, together.”

Seven-year-old Egor lives with his two mothers, one of whom is a surgeon at the children’s hospital. Every time the air raid sirens sound, Egor puts on his bike helmet and hides in the bathroom. He is fighting with rockets, bombs and his own fears with the help of his imaginary friends – animated birds from a computer game.

In the Zoo

Written and directed by Artem Lytvinenko and starring Oleksandr Rudynskyi, Lilia Tsvelikova and Viacheslav Babenkov

Max is a zookeeper at a private zoo on the outskirts of Kyiv. He is not a fan of his job, and February 24 is supposed to be his last day. But when Russian troops surround the area and blow up a bridge, the zoo is left without electricity and food, and the animals are on the verge of death. Max wants to help, but his evacuation plan turns into a suicide mission.

Kyiv-Berlin

Written by Sergiy Luschik, directed by Valentin Shpakov and starring Fabian Mannel and Maria Stopnik

Klaus is a young German surgeon. When the war starts, he drives to Kyiv to whisk away his Ukrainian girlfriend. But she refuses to flee, so Hans also stays, inspired by the volunteer movement, until one day he finds himself badly wounded.

Biliy (aka The Homeless)

Written and directed by Pavlo Ostrikov and starring Yaroslav Bezkorovainyi and Mykhailo Korzhanivskyi

Yura is homeless and living in his car with his 10-year-old son. He has already fled from the war once, and when it catches up with him again, he decides not to run, but to fight – for his son and for his neighbourhood. He wants to join the territorial defence forces, which proves to be difficult for a homeless person with no documents. DQ