OUP: The War Is Not Over, So We Continue
A little over a year ago, The Organization of Ukrainian Producers (OUP) was created with the goal to tell the stories of Ukraine as it fights against the full-scale invasion of Russia and all the consequences of the biggest war the world has seen since WWII. The second goal: to support the Ukrainian film and TV industry, was also accomplished as Daria Leygonie-Fialko, co-founder of OUP, tells Georgi R. Chakarov in this exclusive interview.
Daria also talked about the work of her production company SPACE Production which managed to resume production in Ukraine in the toughest winter months and is currently developing several projects for the local market, alongside a number of co-productions with international partners.
Daria also talked about the work of her production company SPACE Production which managed to resume production in Ukraine in the toughest winter months and is currently developing several projects for the local market, alongside a number of co-productions with international partners.
The founders of the OUP
Daria, it has been one year since we last spoke. What were the highlights in the first year of OUP’s activities? Was it a successful year for OUP?
It has been a very productive year. We made nine documentaries and one feature film. Our films were seen by millions of viewers in more than 30 countries, which means that our mission to tell the world about the Russian military aggression was accomplished. Our second goal was to support the Ukrainian film and TV industry and give people jobs. We recruited over 300 people to work on the films.
We shot the first films with our own money, parts of the profit were reinvested. We also spent the whole year looking for co-production partners. For instance, the film Art in War we shot together with the German company BROADVIEW for ARTE. It was an interesting experience, as Ukrainian and European markets are very different, with different audiences. Our main mission was to make the European viewer hear about our pain, and to do this we studied their cultural peculiarities, being aware that the European viewer has a different level of immersion into the problem and a completely different attitude towards it. We wanted to tell our story not just to tell it, but to make it heard. We even made different versions of the film for Ukrainian and European audiences. First, we showed the film in France and Germany, and a little later in Ukraine. When we finished editing the film for Europe, we realized that for our domestic market we needed completely different accents and decided to make corrections in the film version for the Ukrainian audience. The film turned out well in the end - that’s the main thing.
What are your plans for your second year of operations?
In the first year, we produced a large number of films. Under stress, we accumulated strength and rushed to work. The second year of the war will be the most difficult. God forbid for a third year, as we hope everything would end with a quick victory for us. We are now faced with the task of developing projects that will not be based on reactive response: something happens - we shoot it immediately (for example, we shot our film Blackout. Christmas). Now we’re going to focus on taking a broader view of events as they happen. To add more analysis, a historical perspective, to tell people’s stories in more detail. For example, such a film was our documentary Against All Odds, which analysed the early days of the war and the reasons for the failure of the blitzkrieg. But it took almost a year to make this film, because it’s a hard, painstaking job. The world is tired of war, they don’t read the news as much anymore, and they watch documentaries worse. We understand that, but we will keep going. I think the next phase for OUP will be to build more on feature projects. We are now thinking about which stories are already ethically right to tell, and which can only be filmed after a long time, so as not to hurt the people affected by these events.
You produce both documentaries and fiction. What are the main stories and themes that you will focus on in your upcoming projects?
We, as SPACE Production, have restored the production of series projects in Ukraine, and this is also a very important stage. Now I realize that we did a crazy thing when we brought people out to shoot two multi-episode projects in December 2022. It was the height of the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system. I mean, we went into our pavilions during the blackout and started shooting... It must have been despair, however, we succeeded. We managed to get it all out and we shot 40 episodes of The Trace and 60 episodes of The Blind. Only 3 or 4 times did we cancel shifts because of a blackout or a major missile attack. The whole team had a great desire to work and live on, so we waited out the air raids in basements and kept filming.
SPACE Production is also developing a new detective series called C.O.D.E., which we would like to start filming this summer. “Would like to” - because it’s impossible to plan something in Ukraine more than two weeks in advance. But we can see that people really need to watch something, to move to a parallel reality where there is no war. The Trace and The Blind were filmed in the same format as before February 2022, there is no war in them. But separately, for example, we developed The Bomb Squad. The title speaks for itself, this series will be all about war. It’s a short series for prime time. We are not shooting it yet, but we are actively working on it. Apart from that, there is one project which we are presenting at NATPE with our partners from Britain. It is an artistic series that will show a foreigner’s view of what is happening in Ukraine. This project is very important to us; it is not only about the war, but also about the revaluation of one’s own life, an existential statement about how two completely different worlds - the UK and Ukraine - come together and how war becomes a catalyst for certain changes within a person.
SPACE Production is currently working on projects with three countries - UK, France and Italy. Several more are at the negotiation stage. We do not strive for the quantity of projects. When choosing the projects we have to be true to the mission of SPACE Production: Make Ukrainian identity bloom. Europeans have a lot to discover how the histories of Europe and Ukraine are intertwined, and how many amazing and fascinating stories lurk in our shared past. For the Ukrainian market, we are also developing several miniseries. OUP is working on several documentaries, including a film about Ukrainian cultural heritage, which is now being destroyed by the Russian army, about medics at war, about Russian propaganda, etc.
OUP’s documentaries have enjoyed critical acclaim and strong international interest. Could you mention some of the countries and platforms that have bought content from you?
Our films were originally designed for a wide audience. We have there- fore not focused on festivals but on television. Igor Storchak, co-founder of OUP, signed a contract with the distribution company Autentic Distribution thanks to which our films were seen in dozens of countries, like the Baltic States, Poland, Japan, Georgia, Deutschland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Norway, Ireland, United Kingdom and many more. OUP films were aired by broadcasters like TVR, TVP, NHK, Rustavi 2, ERR, DW, RTP, NRK, RTE, RUV, PBS, etc.
OUP is attending CEE’s most-established TV market NATPE Budapest. What are your expectations for the event? What opportunities will you be looking for during the market?
The main purpose of our participation is to hold a panel discussion entitled “Co-Pro Challenge - Local Stories, Global Appeal”. We are going to tell and show that Ukrainian film industry can produce high-quality content even at war. We will also talk about our international cases, which we have worked with partners in the UK, Estonia and Germany.
We also expect to attract new partners and plan to close some of our deals, in particular the sale of the TV series Water Police. This project is unique not only in Ukraine. Our film crew was so enthusiastic, they filmed some incredible stunts on the water and under water. We found the body of water in Ukraine with the most beautiful bottom - Malinskyi quarry. The production designer created a stunning pavilion, where everything was equipped like on a real ship. Most importantly, it’s a fascinating detective story. We finished the series in February 2022 and its Ukrainian premiere was cut short by the war. The series was shown in Art in War its entirety in May 2023 on STB and it became an absolute hit, occupying the top spots in the rating charts. The series has already been bought by several Baltic countries, Latin America, etc.
How are you adapting to the new conditions on the Ukrainian market? Are you starting to see an increase in demand for new content from the leading TV players?
An increase in demand - that sounds strong. There are not many leading Ukrainian players now, one holding closed down last year, the budgets are smaller, and the hours are smaller. But there is demand. Now, mostly content that is familiar to the viewer is being produced, brands that are recognizable, and new series are being quietly launched. If you look realistically, the situation is not the best, but there is demand, and that is the main thing. Plus, international funds support production, which helps a lot.
What is your relationship with the Ukrainian streaming companies which proved very resilient to the war. Are you planning any projects with them or other digital platforms?
Before the war we had very big plans with Ukrainian platforms, in particular MEGOGO and Oll.tv, now there are no projects, but we are in touch. On MEGOGO now, for example, you can see all of OUP’s documentaries.
No one can say when the war will be over, but still how do you see the future of OUP once Ukraine returns to peace? Do you expect an increase in investments on the content market in particular?
I am absolutely sure that money will come to Ukrainian economy, including content. I think OUP will change into an Association format. Perhaps we’ll expand the circle of members, discuss the necessary impact within the industry, some initiatives, projects, i.e. more work with the industry than co-production. Or we could continue to cooperate on some local projects. But when we summed up the year’s work on the anniversary of the war, we had the slogan: The War Is Not Over, So We Continue. We created the OUP for a specific pur- pose and it is still very relevant. So it is too early to talk about the future of OUP.
It is no secret that Ukrainian producers generated most of their profit by making content for the Russian audience. Which markets do you see as potentially replacing such a big client in the long run as the Ukrainian industry struggles to recover?
I am convinced that Ukrainian industry and content should become a new Israel, I believe in our creative boom. We have been through a lot of psychological turmoil, and it is obvious that this will find its way into new and exciting projects. For this there has to be educational programs for creators - we’re just discussing their creation. As for the market that will replace Russia... Ukraine has already moved towards Europe and made its choice. It should become a part of a co-production pool with European countries. Now co-production is a fast developing trend. There will be no such thing as one market replacing Russia. We do not need that.
It has been a very productive year. We made nine documentaries and one feature film. Our films were seen by millions of viewers in more than 30 countries, which means that our mission to tell the world about the Russian military aggression was accomplished. Our second goal was to support the Ukrainian film and TV industry and give people jobs. We recruited over 300 people to work on the films.
We shot the first films with our own money, parts of the profit were reinvested. We also spent the whole year looking for co-production partners. For instance, the film Art in War we shot together with the German company BROADVIEW for ARTE. It was an interesting experience, as Ukrainian and European markets are very different, with different audiences. Our main mission was to make the European viewer hear about our pain, and to do this we studied their cultural peculiarities, being aware that the European viewer has a different level of immersion into the problem and a completely different attitude towards it. We wanted to tell our story not just to tell it, but to make it heard. We even made different versions of the film for Ukrainian and European audiences. First, we showed the film in France and Germany, and a little later in Ukraine. When we finished editing the film for Europe, we realized that for our domestic market we needed completely different accents and decided to make corrections in the film version for the Ukrainian audience. The film turned out well in the end - that’s the main thing.
What are your plans for your second year of operations?
In the first year, we produced a large number of films. Under stress, we accumulated strength and rushed to work. The second year of the war will be the most difficult. God forbid for a third year, as we hope everything would end with a quick victory for us. We are now faced with the task of developing projects that will not be based on reactive response: something happens - we shoot it immediately (for example, we shot our film Blackout. Christmas). Now we’re going to focus on taking a broader view of events as they happen. To add more analysis, a historical perspective, to tell people’s stories in more detail. For example, such a film was our documentary Against All Odds, which analysed the early days of the war and the reasons for the failure of the blitzkrieg. But it took almost a year to make this film, because it’s a hard, painstaking job. The world is tired of war, they don’t read the news as much anymore, and they watch documentaries worse. We understand that, but we will keep going. I think the next phase for OUP will be to build more on feature projects. We are now thinking about which stories are already ethically right to tell, and which can only be filmed after a long time, so as not to hurt the people affected by these events.
Water Police
You produce both documentaries and fiction. What are the main stories and themes that you will focus on in your upcoming projects?
We, as SPACE Production, have restored the production of series projects in Ukraine, and this is also a very important stage. Now I realize that we did a crazy thing when we brought people out to shoot two multi-episode projects in December 2022. It was the height of the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system. I mean, we went into our pavilions during the blackout and started shooting... It must have been despair, however, we succeeded. We managed to get it all out and we shot 40 episodes of The Trace and 60 episodes of The Blind. Only 3 or 4 times did we cancel shifts because of a blackout or a major missile attack. The whole team had a great desire to work and live on, so we waited out the air raids in basements and kept filming.
SPACE Production is also developing a new detective series called C.O.D.E., which we would like to start filming this summer. “Would like to” - because it’s impossible to plan something in Ukraine more than two weeks in advance. But we can see that people really need to watch something, to move to a parallel reality where there is no war. The Trace and The Blind were filmed in the same format as before February 2022, there is no war in them. But separately, for example, we developed The Bomb Squad. The title speaks for itself, this series will be all about war. It’s a short series for prime time. We are not shooting it yet, but we are actively working on it. Apart from that, there is one project which we are presenting at NATPE with our partners from Britain. It is an artistic series that will show a foreigner’s view of what is happening in Ukraine. This project is very important to us; it is not only about the war, but also about the revaluation of one’s own life, an existential statement about how two completely different worlds - the UK and Ukraine - come together and how war becomes a catalyst for certain changes within a person.
SPACE Production is currently working on projects with three countries - UK, France and Italy. Several more are at the negotiation stage. We do not strive for the quantity of projects. When choosing the projects we have to be true to the mission of SPACE Production: Make Ukrainian identity bloom. Europeans have a lot to discover how the histories of Europe and Ukraine are intertwined, and how many amazing and fascinating stories lurk in our shared past. For the Ukrainian market, we are also developing several miniseries. OUP is working on several documentaries, including a film about Ukrainian cultural heritage, which is now being destroyed by the Russian army, about medics at war, about Russian propaganda, etc.
OUP’s documentaries have enjoyed critical acclaim and strong international interest. Could you mention some of the countries and platforms that have bought content from you?
Our films were originally designed for a wide audience. We have there- fore not focused on festivals but on television. Igor Storchak, co-founder of OUP, signed a contract with the distribution company Autentic Distribution thanks to which our films were seen in dozens of countries, like the Baltic States, Poland, Japan, Georgia, Deutschland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Norway, Ireland, United Kingdom and many more. OUP films were aired by broadcasters like TVR, TVP, NHK, Rustavi 2, ERR, DW, RTP, NRK, RTE, RUV, PBS, etc.
OUP is attending CEE’s most-established TV market NATPE Budapest. What are your expectations for the event? What opportunities will you be looking for during the market?
The main purpose of our participation is to hold a panel discussion entitled “Co-Pro Challenge - Local Stories, Global Appeal”. We are going to tell and show that Ukrainian film industry can produce high-quality content even at war. We will also talk about our international cases, which we have worked with partners in the UK, Estonia and Germany.
We also expect to attract new partners and plan to close some of our deals, in particular the sale of the TV series Water Police. This project is unique not only in Ukraine. Our film crew was so enthusiastic, they filmed some incredible stunts on the water and under water. We found the body of water in Ukraine with the most beautiful bottom - Malinskyi quarry. The production designer created a stunning pavilion, where everything was equipped like on a real ship. Most importantly, it’s a fascinating detective story. We finished the series in February 2022 and its Ukrainian premiere was cut short by the war. The series was shown in Art in War its entirety in May 2023 on STB and it became an absolute hit, occupying the top spots in the rating charts. The series has already been bought by several Baltic countries, Latin America, etc.
Art in War
How are you adapting to the new conditions on the Ukrainian market? Are you starting to see an increase in demand for new content from the leading TV players?
An increase in demand - that sounds strong. There are not many leading Ukrainian players now, one holding closed down last year, the budgets are smaller, and the hours are smaller. But there is demand. Now, mostly content that is familiar to the viewer is being produced, brands that are recognizable, and new series are being quietly launched. If you look realistically, the situation is not the best, but there is demand, and that is the main thing. Plus, international funds support production, which helps a lot.
What is your relationship with the Ukrainian streaming companies which proved very resilient to the war. Are you planning any projects with them or other digital platforms?
Before the war we had very big plans with Ukrainian platforms, in particular MEGOGO and Oll.tv, now there are no projects, but we are in touch. On MEGOGO now, for example, you can see all of OUP’s documentaries.
No one can say when the war will be over, but still how do you see the future of OUP once Ukraine returns to peace? Do you expect an increase in investments on the content market in particular?
I am absolutely sure that money will come to Ukrainian economy, including content. I think OUP will change into an Association format. Perhaps we’ll expand the circle of members, discuss the necessary impact within the industry, some initiatives, projects, i.e. more work with the industry than co-production. Or we could continue to cooperate on some local projects. But when we summed up the year’s work on the anniversary of the war, we had the slogan: The War Is Not Over, So We Continue. We created the OUP for a specific pur- pose and it is still very relevant. So it is too early to talk about the future of OUP.
It is no secret that Ukrainian producers generated most of their profit by making content for the Russian audience. Which markets do you see as potentially replacing such a big client in the long run as the Ukrainian industry struggles to recover?
I am convinced that Ukrainian industry and content should become a new Israel, I believe in our creative boom. We have been through a lot of psychological turmoil, and it is obvious that this will find its way into new and exciting projects. For this there has to be educational programs for creators - we’re just discussing their creation. As for the market that will replace Russia... Ukraine has already moved towards Europe and made its choice. It should become a part of a co-production pool with European countries. Now co-production is a fast developing trend. There will be no such thing as one market replacing Russia. We do not need that.
