/ Don't hate the media, become the media.Jello Biafra

In 2014, at the height of the Ukrainian revolution, a mother loses her son who is killed while protesting in Independence Square. Her attempt to bury him as a hero clashes with a corrupt bureaucratic system, testing her view of Ukraine.

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Hi Masha, thank you for talking to The New Current, how have you been keeping during these strange times?

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Just like the main character of my film, Svetlana, I am fighting. The struggle of my people gives me the strength to work on.

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How have you kept yourself motivated? 

Motivation is always within a person, it does not come from outside.

Glorious Revolution is your graduation film that had its premiere at the 29th Camerimage Film Festival, what was that experience like for you?

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Camerimage Film Festival is a very important festival that opened up many talented people, I felt accepted into a large filmmaker’s community. Also, during the festival, I had an honour of developing my upcoming short film „Maria’s Lovers“ with Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, who gave me lots of advice.

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As an MA Graduate from London Film School what would you say has been the valuable lessons you have taken from your time at LFS?

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I am very grateful to my teachers Richard Kwietniowski and Rafael Kapelinski from whom I learned a lot. Communication with people at the LFS of different nationalities led me to the understanding that the stories I tell should be universally understandable to most people in the world.

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Congratulations on having Glorious Revolution being selected for the 25th La Cinef, what does it mean to you to have your film part of this year's festival?

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I see this as a chance and opportunity given to me for further development.

Can you tell me how Glorious Revolution came about, what was it about the 2014 Ukrainian revolution that inspired you to write this film?

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During the Revolution of Dignity 2014, I heard a story about Serhiy Bondarev, who was killed on the first day of protests, and of his mother who struggled to bury him, faced with red tape everywhere. This story touched me because I could have been in Serhiy’s place.

What is the message you wanted to convey with this film and do you think you have achieved this?

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The Revolution of Dignity greatly influenced the self-consciousness of people, including me, it showed the possibility and the way of fight. This idea is embodied in my film through the character of a mother who has lost everything, her son, shelter, and income, but she continues her fight. It is stubborn and strong, it is the prototype of modern Ukraine.

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I hope that my idea will be understood and read by the audience.

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Do you like to keep to your screenplay once you start filming or do you allow yourself or your actors some flexibility?

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Of course, I stick to the script, but if there are good ideas from the actors and the team, we implement them.

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When working on a film like Glorious Revolution how important is the collaborative nature of filmmaking?

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The collaborative process is always important and is the basis of making a film.

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You come from a Jewish-Ukrainian family of artists, did being surrounded by the arts growing up make your transition into art/filmmaking easier?

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Watching lots of art certainly helps in cinema, I grew up among paintings. My observation of art and love for it, it seems to me, has set a certain bar inside me that does not allow me to work below it.

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Is there any one area of filmmaking you’re really keen to explore more?

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I am very interested in film music and the impact it has on the audience.

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How much has your style and approach to your films has changed since your debut short?

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I think that this can be understood and analyzed when the next film is made.

"This idea is embodied in my film through the character of a mother who has lost everything, her son, shelter, and income, but she continues her fight."