Author:
Yuliia Didenko
Director Antonio Lukich, known for his films My Thoughts Are Silent and Luxembourg, Luxembourg, has released a short documentary about Ukrainian schoolchildren, How I Spent My Summer Holidays, on the Takflix platform. Together with the platform, the film’s team is donating 50% of the proceeds from each ticket to support children cared for by the Voices of Children Foundation.
What the Film Is About
How I Spent My Summer Holidays is a sincere conversation with Ukrainian teenagers about what summer looks like in the times of war. The film was created especially for the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen and premiered at the Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, where it received the highest audience rating.
This 14-minute short film shows how a simple classroom question in an English lesson—“How did you spend your summer holidays?”—takes on an entirely new meaning when posed to children from different regions of Ukraine. The film brought together students from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia regions, and beyond. The teenagers share their personal stories, and the director explores what Ukrainian children feel and the words they choose to describe their summer.
This 14-minute short film shows how a simple classroom question in an English lesson—“How did you spend your summer holidays?”—takes on an entirely new meaning when posed to children from different regions of Ukraine. The film brought together students from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia regions, and beyond. The teenagers share their personal stories, and the director explores what Ukrainian children feel and the words they choose to describe their summer.
A New Perspective of the Well-Known Director
This is Lukich’s first venture into documentary filmmaking, but he stays true to his signature style—with warm tones and subtle irony. At the same time, the film conveys documentary honesty and the director’s frankness.
We’re used to hearing stories about beach vacations, bike rides, and sports victories. But what will teenagers in today’s Ukraine say? Does their life look any different? Or is even war not strong enough to suppress youth, a thirst for life, emotions, and adventure?
In the film, the director asks the children, “How are you?” It’s an adult’s perspective, infused with empathy for a generation growing up to the sound of air raid sirens.
The documentary was produced by Kyrylo Nechmonia and Svitlana Nikolenko, with cinematography by Kyrylo Svietashov, sound by Serhii Zakatnov, and editing by Nikon Romanchenko.
The documentary was produced by Kyrylo Nechmonia and Svitlana Nikolenko, with cinematography by Kyrylo Svietashov, sound by Serhii Zakatnov, and editing by Nikon Romanchenko.
The Voices of Children Foundation thanks the entire team behind the film for supporting childhood in Ukraine. It’s important to us that we work together to draw attention to children’s experiences during war and help amplify their voices.
Watch How I Spent My Summer Holidays and support Ukrainian filmmaking on Takflix.
*Takflix is the first online cinema platform dedicated to supporting Ukrainian national cinema and encouraging audiences worldwide to discover high-quality Ukrainian films.
Watch How I Spent My Summer Holidays and support Ukrainian filmmaking on Takflix.
*Takflix is the first online cinema platform dedicated to supporting Ukrainian national cinema and encouraging audiences worldwide to discover high-quality Ukrainian films.
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