08/08/2023 - The hybrid drama about kids hiding in the Metro was shot during the siege of Kharkiv and depicts war-torn Ukraine from a child’s perspective

Photophobia by Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík (© Punkchart Films)

Two of the three filmmakers behind the award-winning documentary triptych Velvet Terrorists [+see also:
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film profile], Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík, have reunited for a film project called Photophobia [+see also:
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interview: Ivan Ostrochovský, Pavol Pe…
film profile], shot in Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Both filmmakers arrived in the country in spring 2022 with humanitarian aid personnel and spent four months shooting the movie. They were determined to capture the everyday experiences of ordinary people, aiming to depict moments of genuine humanity amid the terror. They found children who had been hiding in Kharkiv’s Metro for two months. As the city faced the imminent threat of a siege in early April, the chances of these children escaping their hiding place dwindled. As the youngsters started to exhibit symptoms of depression and apathy, the shoot aimed to provide some temporary relief from the realities of war.

The hybrid drama follows the story of 12-year-old Niki (Nikita Tyshchenko) and his family, who head to a Metro station to seek refuge from the bombings that are gradually destroying their place of residence – home to half a million people. The station's harsh neon lights become their perpetual daylight, a symbol of the danger lurking outside. When Niki meets Vika (Viktoriia Mats), a young girl also trapped in this underworld, their shared experiences create a bond that offers them both solace and the courage to dream of the sun on their faces once more.

The directors have carefully juxtaposed Niki and his family's timeless and aimless existence with chilling scenes of the world on the surface, captured on Super 8mm. These frames depict the war-ravaged landscapes that might seem like the distant fantasies of a traumatised child, but actually serve as a stark reminder of Ukraine's current reality.

Set to enjoy its world premiere at the impending Venice Film Festival (30 August-9 September), the most recent collaboration between Ostrochovský and Pekarčík will bow in the independent Giornate degli Autori sidebar (see the news). The film’s producer Katarína Tomková, of Punkchart Films, revealed to Cineuropa that the team is presently engaged in negotiations with international sales agents. Furthermore, she has corroborated that audiences in Slovakia and the Czech Republic can anticipate a theatrical release.

Photophobia is being produced by Ivan Ostrochovský, Albert Malinovský and Katarína Tomková, of Punkchart Films (Slovakia), Tomáš Michálek and Kristýna Michálek Květová from Cinémotif Films (Czech Republic), and Denis Ivanov from Arthouse Traffic (Ukraine). Radio and Television Slovakia, Czech Television and partizanfilm (Pavol Pekarčík) are serving as co-producers. The Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Czech Film Fund and Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic have provided support. Filmtopia will handle the Slovak theatrical release.