Kyiv Director Funds Film by Remortgaging Apartment Amid Bombing Fears

Ukrainian filmmaker Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, known for his international successes “Pamfir” and “Silent Flood,” has taken an extraordinary step to fund his next project, “Something Strange Happened to Me.” Four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, a conflict that instilled fear for his life and possessions, Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk has mortgaged his family’s apartment. This risky financial move, described by the director as “a funny story,” stems from a profound shift in perspective: initially protective of his home, he realized its constant vulnerability to bombing meant “nothing was changing,” leading him to conclude, “Might as well use the money to make the film. It’s a good story, at least.”

As both the director and writer, and through his own production company, Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk embarked on the film’s initial development with personal funds, accumulating significant debts and bank loans. Executive producer Diana Nazaruk highlights the broader industry challenges post-invasion, where “creatives were in stagnation” and traditional funding mechanisms, like national funds, were disrupted, forcing producers like Dmytro to innovate with personal money, loans, and business sponsors.

“Something Strange Happened to Me” is an intriguing blend of genres. The narrative follows Svitlana, an architecture teacher who offers at-home tutoring while meticulously restoring her house following its de-occupation by Russian forces. Her home also serves as a space for her neighbor, Korniy, who practices unconventional psychological techniques. A mysterious chain of events is triggered when one of these sessions leads students to a dangerous discovery, ultimately transporting Svitlana and Korniy over 100 years into the past.

The film’s genesis came from Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s post-invasion philosophy of “less is more,” aiming for strong concepts over high budgets. He experimented with a format for filmmakers to have a year of development and a year of production, fostering a rapid creative pace. During this period, he encountered family constellation therapy, a controversial practice using role-play to explore underlying family dynamics. Recognizing its visually and conceptually “weird” nature, akin to esoteric theater, he first adapted the concept into a play during a two-month residency with the Kyiv National Theatre. This theatrical experimentation allowed him to refine the narrative before transforming it into a screenplay, evolving into a “historical detective film with body horror elements,” infused with elements of Greek tragedy and fairytale.

To visually differentiate the dual timelines, Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk plans to shoot the past sequences in 16mm, presenting both an artistic and technical challenge. This choice is driven by his obsession with making the radical historical time shift palpable, mirroring the aesthetic jump within the movie. Extensive tests with 16mm film yielded an “imperfect image” that he found to be “perfect” for conveying the desired historical feel, contrasting with the clean digital aesthetics of the present-day segments.

While the initial stages were self-funded, Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk has since secured financial backing from the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films (ESFUF), providing a measure of security. The team has already completed a “winter block” of shooting and is actively seeking co-producers and partners at events like Venice’s Gap-Financing Market, acknowledging that further funds are still needed for post-production and the film’s completion.

The director also sheds light on the ongoing severe challenges for the Ukrainian film industry. The initial surge of international attention for Ukrainian projects has waned, with the war now often perceived as “a regular thing.” Executive producer Diana Nazaruk underscores the “super stressful” reality of living under constant pressure, without secure places, and the constant threat of conscription, which makes team stability unpredictable. Filmmakers must meticulously check locations for safety. In this environment, only “very strong visions and deeply artistic voices will have the chance to get movies made in Ukraine.” “Something Strange Happened to Me” is a co-production between Ukraine’s Mellivora Production LLC and the U.K.’s Wellington Films, embodying this resilience.