Running time: 43:17
Year of production: 2019
Country of production: Ukraine

In one of the largest sleeping districts in Ukraine, Troeshchyna, located in Kyiv, this documentary film follows ‘sleepless’ people, who stand out from the monotonous cityscape through extraordinary talents and initiatives in areas such as sports, art and the environment. Given their surroundings, though, this is often accompanied by a lot of challenges and obstacles.

With over one and a half years spent on making this film, countless travels to the neighbourhood during my two-year stay in Kyiv from 2017 to 2019 and numerous interviews conducted, this is my longest and most ambitious project yet.

Watch the full film below.

Special thanks to my father and Ukrainian photographer, Viktor Marushchenko, for the logistical support (driving me back and forth on countless weekends), for reaching out to residents of Troeshchyna, many of whom are featured in the final film, and for his invaluable creative feedback. Without Viktor this project would have never been possible.

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