Pylyp Illienko

Kharkiv, the 1930s. The heyday of Ukrainian art. Ambitious young poet Vladimir Akimov happily settles in at the new luxury "Slovo" House built specifically for artists. He comes from the provinces and works as a proof-reader in a printing press, and has never even dreamed of living under one roof with prominent Ukrainian writers and artists. He thinks his own poetry is genius, but nobody takes his literary efforts seriously, not to mention the occasional chuckles over his epigone poems. But fate smiles at him. The head of the political intelligence agency suggests that he become the author of a play written earlier. Akimov agrees, signing a non- disclosure note. The poet has no idea what price he will pay for this success. “‘Slovo’ House” is a story about a generation of Ukrainian artists persecuted by the totalitarian system, unfolding against the backdrop of one of the largest genocides of the 20th century: the Holodomor, which caused the death of almost 7 million people.

Mavka, a water nymph, loves Lukash, a country youth. Their brief happiness ends when Lukash is forced to marry the shrewish Kilina. The spirit of the forest turns Lukash into a wolf as punishment for his infidelity. The strength of Mavka's love breaks the spell, but Kilina curses the nymph, transforming her into a weeping willow. This beautiful and tragic story is based on a play written in 1912 by Lesya Ukrainka, a Ukrainian poet, writer and political, civil and female activist, and includes mythological characters taken from Ukrainian folklore.

A convict is forced to hide within a model of a hammer and sickle. Here a tragic romance ensues between the convict and woman worker; which is spoilt by the woman's jealous young son. The convict is then forced to undergo a tragic bid for freedom which ends with the beauty of swans contrasted with the imprisoned convicts and the hopeful but ultimately tragic wait by the woman for her lover.

Liuba and Andrii, two war veterans bearing both physical wounds and the invisible scars of PTSD, find solace in each other as they navigate the long road to recovery. Their bond offers a fragile hope for healing, but as they confront the lasting impact of trauma and the challenge of rebuilding their lives, their connection is tested in a quiet, deeply human struggle for love, strength, and renewal.

During an interesting era in the history of Eastern Europe when Russia, under Peter the Great, and Sweden, under King Charles XII, struggled for power, Ukraine was the pawn in the middle. In 1709, Ivan Mazepa, Hetman of Ukraine, which was part of the Russian Empire, signed a pact with the Swedish king promising to support Sweden in its war against Russia provided that Ukraine was given its independence.

Documentary hommage to Sergey Parajanov on the occasion of his 100 anniversary. Witness the blend of unique archive material with surrealistic puppetry scenes, seamlessly blurring the lines between imagination and reality.

Once in the underpass at the Philharmonic, a singer Lyudmila hears a heavenly voice of a beggar-girl singing "Ave Maria" ...

In the near future, the main character Alice finds herself on a deserted island. To survive, she relies on the superintelligence of an artificial advisor — the size of a pea, which is inserted into her ear. This becomes the starting point for reflecting on the consequences of human dependence on technology.