Author:
Cat Voisyk
The short film "What Have We Lost," created as part of an art therapy screenwriting course by the "Voices of Children" foundation and director Marysia Nikitiuk, is now available for viewing.
In 13 minutes, the children managed to recount what they have lost and how they are searching for themselves now. In addition to brief stories about themselves, they also turned to artistic images: "growing together with trees" or trying to create a house deep in the forest that Russian rockets would not be able to destroy.
To express the most important points in a few sentences, the children sometimes spent days reflecting on their lives and their perception of the war. Therefore, in the short video, they were able to convey not only the beauty of Ukrainian nature but also the complex fates and emotions of the young filmmakers.
"I have always wanted to talk about my story. As a displaced child since 2014, I faced the fact that before 2022, there wasn't much discussion about the war in the media. This was my number one goal. During the filming, I realized that I could talk about what hurts, that people would understand me. Even when everything is destroyed and it feels like it's the end, there are people who will build a roof over your little house with their own hands. There are those who understand because they are living through the same," shares the co-author of the film, Sofia Kalinych from Donetsk region.
The teenagers took the course under the guidance of the psychologist from the "Voices of Children" foundation, Daria Parshyntseva. The process of creating the 13-minute film was mentored by a team of professionals: director Marysia Nikitiuk, cameraman Sasha Roshchyn, editing director Mykola Bazarkin, and sound engineer Bohdan Barkovskikh.
"For me, this film is about how war destroys, how the Russians destroy our world, our environment, our lives in the end. During these 3 months of the course, we talked a lot about our reality, personal stories. All of this brings up many emotions, and you don’t always know what to do with them. Yes, we can't bring back the people whose lives were taken by Russia with films and songs, but we can heal our own souls through this art," emphasized Marysia Nikitiuk.
The film has already been viewed within the walls of the UK Parliament, at events in New York and Washington, as well as at the "LIFT" competition organized by hromadske.ua, where it became a finalist.
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