Every house has the truth of its own

The film tells about the lives of Ukrainians in European countries. The heroes of the picture are young people who left Ukraine on various reasons (some of them went to obtain quality free education, others emigrated with their parents back in the childhood, and yet others are looking for prospects and higher living standards).

The film was made by four Chernihiv filmmakers from the independent film studio Boroda Cinema. They visited Krakow, Munich, Prague, Milan, and Paris, where they worked with Ukrainian migrant workers. According to the director of the film Stanislav Puzdriak, it was not hard to find the heroes for the film: “The idea to shoot a documentary about emigration was logical. Many people in western Ukraine go to work abroad on a regular basis. Many of my friends and acquaintances are living abroad, and of course, it worries me. I’m not judging their choice, but I want more people to love their country and want to do something for it. I want to pay attention to this global problem in our state in my own method.”

The filmmakers faced some difficulties. “We couldn’t open a visa for a long time, then we faced difficulties when we were crossing the border. When we came to shoot to Paris, my partner Vitalii Skyhar was fined for illegal shooting with quadrocopter. The equipment was confiscated and Vitalli spent a day in the local prison,” the director says.

The film Immigraniada was created for the money of the authors. For the first time the film was shown in Chernivtsi in early May. After that there were presentations in Warsaw and New York, and after Odesa the picture will be screened in Dubai and Krakow. According to Puzdriak, Ukrainian immigrants help to organize the screenings abroad. The director also promised that the film will be available for public on the Internet before the end of the year.

The heroes of the film name typical Ukrainian problems: corruption, instability, lack of prospects. They recall home with warmth and sadness, but they are not going to go back. However, Immigraniada shows a different type of Ukrainians, too. Like a photographer who could have stayed in Italy with his mother, but returned home and joined the army. Or a businessman who opened a shop of brand Ukrainian goods in his hometown Chernivtsi. These people are sure: changes in your country begin with you.

Odesa residents took a huge interest in Immigraniada. They asked Stanislav Puzdriak what European country he liked the most and whether he would like to stay abroad. But the young director plans to work in Ukraine and continue to shoot independent cinema. So, Boroda Cinema is going to make a film about Ukrainians in the US, but so far they their visa application has been refused.