Supported project

UP IN THE AIR

Dec 11, 2023

Up inthe air
  • Director: Oksana Syhareva
  • Scriptwriter: Oksana Syhareva
  • Countries: Ukraine, Czech Republic, Monaco
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Country of shooting: Ukraine
  • Language: Ukrainian / Russian
  • Duration: 82 min

SYNOPSIS

“Up in the Air” is a obervational documentary that delves into the generational divide within the world of circus arts in war-torn Ukraine. Sasha, an ambitious 8- year-old circus prodigy, dreams of soaring under the big top, tirelessly honing his aerial gymnastics skills. His mentor, Svitlana, represents the old guard, clinging to tradition and an outdated outlook on circus performance. Her son Zhenia aspires to a different path. After working abroad, he comes back to Kharkiv with new ideas. The stark contrast in teaching styles and philosophies between Svitlana and Zhenia highlights the rift between generations. The documentary unfolds against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. War forces Svitlana and her young students into exile in Budapest. As Sasha adapts to refugee life and embraces a new coach in Prague, he symbolizes the younger generation’s willingness to embrace change and innovation. Meanwhile, Zhenia distances himself from Svitlana, believing her pro-Russian stance contributed to the war. His pursuit of a career in directing underscores the younger generation’s desire for a fresh start.

CONTACT

Ukrainian producer
PE Syhareva Oksana

Oksana Syhareva
avakharkiv@gmail.com

Producer from a contributing country
Baltic Productions (Lithuania)

Ruta Adelė Jekentaitė
ruta@balticproductions.lt

AMOUNT OF THE SUPPORT FOR FINALISATION: 75 000 €

European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films – Date of the decision : December 11th 2023

    THE DIRECTOR

    Ivan Sautkin
    Oksana Syhareva is a director from Ukraine. Until 2012, she directed commercial and TV programms. Now she works with films: documentary and fiction. She also explores the possibilities of digital art tools and develops VR projects. In 2014, she was the director and producer of her first documentary Vasiliy Yermilov the Constructor. She is currently working on her second documentary, “Up in the Air”, and is preparing “Up in the Air VR”. The main focus of films is culture, art, human rights, social change. The main goal is to develop cultural ties between countries and peoples in order to achieve mutual understanding.

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