| Mykola from Mariupol |
Mykola is a teenager who lost his legs and arm as result of the accident. His aim was to become a Paralympic champion as a swimmer. However his native Ukrainian city Mariupol was destroyed by the Russian invaders.
The story is about overcoming and how to find yourself after the hard tests of fate. The film will be about how to overcome one’s fears and start living a life first after a terrible challenge of fate. Mykola’s broken life will be a metaphor for such thousands of mutilated destinies of the Maryupol’s residents.
TEASER
At the age of 12, Mykola Nizhnikovsky was injured during an explosion at a military training ground. He lost two legs and a hand and also received facial burns. The guy survived surgery, debilitating treatment and long rehabilitation. He again learned not only to walk, but also used to perceive himself new. Mykola was swimming and preparing for the Paralympic Games. But his dreams could not be fulfilled. Mykola has problems with overweighing and therefore, officials were inst his participation in the Paralympics. But Mykola kept on his sport training at a swimming pool. He wants to dedicate his victory to the mother, who left the job and moved to another city to care for her son with disabilities. In an accident where Mykola was injured, his younger brother was died. finds himself guilty of not being able to save his sibling…  The main question which the film raises is how overstrip own fears and forgive yourself. We used the method of unobtrusive keeping track to the hero. Mykola is not ashamed to be filmed, he does not notice the presence of the camera and behaves as unrestrained and natural as possible. It is interesting to observe on him. We has captured his emotions, change his mood, his communication with others. Usually Mykola behaves quite openly, likes to make jokes. But sometimes it locks itself. It is important for us to capture these mood swings, sharp emotional outbursts. A separate line is talking with Mykola’s mom, who has her own vision of her son’s dream. We show how Mykola Nizhnikovsky changed over the course of a year, overcoming new challenges (not only physical as well as psychological). We will focus on his trainings, fighting overweight, getting used to new dentures.  After February 24, 2022, communication with Mykola was timely cut off. His family could not evacuate from the besieged city. What fate expects him in the city destroyed by the occupiers? The film aim is show how to overcome one’s fears and start living a life first after a terrible challenge of fate. Mykola lives in Mariupol(now this territory is occupied by Russia). We couldn’t imagine that this video would become unique any time soon. But it will tell about the fate of not only one young man, but will become a metaphor for this city, which was leveled to the ground by bombing. But Mariupol, like Mykola, does not intend to submit to evil fate.  A month before the invasion, our film crew managed to film in detail the daily life of Mykola and his family – his mother and little sister. He learned to cook, met with folk musicians. He recalled how he became disabled as a result of an explosion during the first occupation of Mariupol, and then underwent numerous rehabilitations, particularly in Canada. But then he returned to his homeland – to his native Mariupol. For several days during the filming, Mykola was at the base of the Azov Battalion, where he met soldiers, learned to disassemble a machine gun, trained dogs and learned to drive. His leader and friend from Azov was the now well-known press secretary of the battalion, Dmytro Orest Kozatsky, who is currently in captivity.  After February 24, communication with Mykola was interrupted for a month and a half. Then we received information from his mother that they were alive – they are in their house, they managed to get some food once a week. Unfortunately, the family still cannot be evacuated, in fact they have became hostages of the occupiers and are forced to live in a ruined city. We keep in touch with them by social media. We will use video calls and text messages from occupation period in doc. We see it as an honor to complete the film about Mykola and organize its screenings as soon as possible to show him to the world and remind people of the feat of all Mariupol residents and its indomitable inhabitant Mykola.  The film aim is show how to overcome one’s fears and start living a life first after a terrible challenge of fate. Mykola lives in Mariupol(now this territory is occupied by Russia). We couldn’t imagine that this video would become unique any time soon. But it will tell about the fate of not only one young man, but will become a metaphor for this city, which was leveled to the ground by bombing. But Mariupol, like Mykola, does not intend to submit to evil fate. A month before the invasion, our film crew managed to film in detail the daily life of Mykola and his family – his mother and little sister. He learned to cook, met with folk musicians. He recalled how he became disabled as a result of an explosion during the first occupation of Mariupol, and then underwent numerous rehabilitations, particularly in Canada. But then he returned to his homeland – to his native Mariupol.  For several days during the filming, Mykola was at the base of the Azov Battalion, where he met soldiers, learned to disassemble a machine gun, trained dogs and learned to drive. His leader and friend from Azov was the now well-known press secretary of the battalion, Dmytro Orest Kozatsky, who is currently in captivity.  After February 24, communication with Mykola was interrupted for a month and a half. Then we received information from his mother that they were alive – they are in their house, they managed to get some food once a week. Unfortunately, the family still cannot be evacuated, in fact they have became hostages of the occupiers and are forced to live in a ruined city. We keep in touch with them by social media. We will use video calls and text messages from occupation period in doc.  We see it as an honor to complete the film about Mykola and organize its screenings as soon as possible to show him to the world and remind people of the feat of all Mariupol residents and its indomitable inhabitant Mykola. |
