Bucha, the first feature about the events in the titular city, is in the making
- The film about the violent occupation of the Ukrainian city is in production and is being helmed by Stanislav Tiunov
A film called Bucha [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is currently in production, staged by Ukrainian film producer Oleksandr Shchur (the screenwriter of Date in Vegas and I, You, He, She) and director Stanislav Tiunov (the producer of Date in Vegas and Producer). The team has already presented a teaser trailer for the project (see below).
The plot is based on real-life events that took place in the cities of Bucha, Vorzel, Gostomel and Irpin during the Russian occupation from February-April 2022. The biopic will tell of the rescue of 203 local residents by Konstantin Gudauskas, a citizen of Kazakhstan who received political asylum in Ukraine and lives in Bucha. At the beginning of the Russian invasion, thanks to his Kazakh passport, he has the opportunity to travel to the territory occupied by Russian troops and extricate civilians. Not only does Konstantin save people, but he also sees with his own eyes all the horrors of war and occupation – including murder, robbery and rape.
Following the end of the occupation of the Kyiv region, Konstantin became a hero and was featured in many publications and television stories run by influential national and international media outlets, including the French newspaper Le Monde, the France 24 TV channel, the UK’s ITV News channel and others.
“After it became known in April what was happening in Bucha and other occupied cities around Ukraine, it became clear that the whole world had to learn about the tragedy of the Ukrainian people,” says Oleksandr Shchur. “We believe that the implementation of this project will help Ukraine to attract the attention of the international community, and will encourage increasing amounts of economic and military aid in the future.”
Shchur also said that a separate company has been set up to complete this picture, called "BuchaFilm", and all of the funds it receives will go exclusively to this project. “Of course, when filming starts, we will cooperate with other companies for equipment rental, post-production and so on.”
Filming of the movie is planned for December-January, and the premiere will take place on the anniversary of the tragedy in March-April of 2023.
The film will also include a scene focusing on the rescue of famous Ukrainian composer and winner of the Shevchenko Prize Ihor Poklad, who was at home in Vorzel during the events portrayed in the movie. Several works by Ihor Dmytrovych, such as “The Power of a Bird” and “March of the Hundred” from the operetta The Witch of Konotop, will be used as part of the film’s soundtrack. The creator of the main soundtrack for the movie is Isa Melikov, a well-known Azerbaijani composer and producer.
A casting session to find the actors for the film will be held by the end of the year, but Vyacheslav Dovzhenko, a Ukrainian stage and film actor, and the winner of the Golden Dzyga Award for Best Male Role, has already been cast as the main antagonist.
The teaser trailer for the film was shot at the expense of US investors, and indeed, further financing of the production will also come exclusively from foreign investors and patrons.
“Having the first foreign investments and a clear understanding that every hryvnia in Ukraine is needed to help our armed forces, we continue planning to attract funds from abroad through donations and investors,” says Stanislav Tiunov. “Ukrainians can also help by spreading information about the movie as much as possible in order to attract the attention of the mass media, media professionals and patrons.”
Check out the teaser trailer for Bucha below:
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