MOEDER
A SHORT FILM SET AND SHOT IN UKRAINE
KYIV UKRAINE | 50.4504° N, 30.5245° E | ***28 OCT - 5 NOV 2021 | SHOT ON 3-PERF 35mm KODAK FILM ***4 months prior to PUTIN’S INVASION OF UKRAINE
‘MOEDER’ or ‘MOTHER’ tells the story of Vitaly Ivanov - a miner on the Ukraine/Russian border who discovers a ringing phone, and tragically so much more, in his backyard.
→ About MOEDER
AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT AND MEDITATION ON THE HUMAN Collateral DURING TIMES OF WAR AND CONFLICT
DIRECTOR’S
STATEMENT
THE HIGH-WIRE ACT OF THIS FILM IS THAT IT WITHHOLDS QUITE A BIT FROM THE AUDIENCE - INVITING THEM TO LEAN IN - TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE, AND IN DOING SO, ALLOW FOR A CATHARTIC RELEASE IN THE END.
—- Salomon Ligthelm
A friend approached me with the seed of this story. The personal nature with which the story looks at the tragedy, and focuses in on the small, oft-missed moments of the human collateral - that’s what really moved me. And as often happens, upon further research of the actual events surrounding the MH17 flight disaster, I realized that this story was not the only one of its kind. There were multiple stories of locals finding ringing phones in the fields, or on their property, with people on the other side of the line speaking in foreign languages desperately looking for their loved ones.
As a story-teller, I want to create an entry point for the audience to emotionally connect with the characters in the heart of this film. It's easy for this type of film to have a larger political angle, but I wanted to be hyper-focussed on the human toll that unfolds against the backdrop of these events. Films are "empathy engines" that open up avenues for us to connect with people whose lives are in some ways very different from ours, yet at the same time they share our pain, our loss, our joy, and our humanity. The key in making sure that some of the universal themes that I was drawn to in the initial impetus for creating the story, would translate in the unique context of Ukraine, was working with Daniel Linnik-Zhuravliov, Vadim Yuzba, Anatolii Panchenko and so many of my other Ukrainian and Dutch partners to make sure the film is authentically rendered, and that it expresses a non-sensationalised angle of events.
"Mother" is a timely exploration of the deep connections that bind us together, transcending borders and political divisions. As the film navigates the harrowing landscape of Donetsk, it uncovers a universal truth: that our capacity to feel compassion and understanding for others is one of the most extraordinary aspects of the human experience.
MOEDER ‘THE SOUND’ TEASER
Created right after we returned from Ukraine, this teaser expresses the feeling we felt when putting the story to screen, and the spirit of the film as we were crafting it.
FILM STILLS
FILM STILLS
SHORT FILM | DRAMA/MYSTERY | 20 MIN | 4:3 ASPECT RATIO | COLOR | 35MM
See the official stills from the film below.
STILLS BY JOE PERRI
Growing up a natural storyteller, photography became Perri’s vehicle for revealing emotional depth in people and the world around him. “My work explores the nuances of the human condition, finding narrative through light and detail sometimes hidden in plain view,” he explains.
Photographed outside of Kiev, Ukraine, the series is part of the narrative short film, “Moeder,” directed by Salomon Lighthelm. The film and photo series will be exhibited in New York City in November, 2022.
IMAGE SEQUENCE BELOW
THE CAST AND CREW
CAST
Vitaly: Chris Galust
Yeva: Marta Beloshapka
Alexei: Yurii Laguta
Pavel: Vitalii Novikov
Sasha: Aleksandr Krasko
Foreman: Igor Lazunko
Journalist: Anna Bezmenova
Cameraman: Roman Papush
CREW
Story By: Luca Degani
Written By: Salomon Ligthelm, Joshua Sullivan
Executive Producer: Salomon Ligthelm
Executive Producer: Jeff Taylor
Executive Producer: Darko Skulsky
Executive Producer: Kateryna Galytska
Producer: Daniel Linnik-Zhuravliov
Production Manager: Olga Avrahova
Production Coordinator: Andrew Birch
Production Assistant: Daria Sachil
Director: Salomon Ligthelm
DP: Farhad Ghaderi
Production Company: Radioaktive, Search Party
Co-Production: Boratalco, Algebra247
Pick Up DP: Nikita Kuzmenko
Script Supervisor: Liuba Honcharenko
Script Coach: Anatolii Panchenko
1st AD: Vadim Yuzba
2nd AD: Misha Voropai
Casting Director: Nika Bondar
Casting Assistant: Eugene Krevosheev
Location Manager: Dima Shevchenko
Location Manager: Andrew Nedobora
Location Assistant: Kristina Illienko
1st AC/Focus Puller: Sergij Panteleev
1st Cam Mechanic: Stas Kaminsky
2nd Cam Mechanic/slate: Faged Al Bayed
Loader: Dima Martynenkov
Steadicam Operator: Max Salo
Playback Operator: Maksym Sukhovij
Playback Assistant: Evgen Malyshev
Gaffer: Volodymyr Akulov
Chief Electrician: Anton Tsarev
Key Grip: Maksym Maksymchuk
Spark: Artem Seryi
Spark: Maxim Molodozhenya
Dolly Grip: Lesha Zbronzhko
Production Designer: Anna Tavlinska
PD Assistant: Oleksandra Kovtun
Construction Foreman: Petro Kushpeta
Props Master: Viacheslav Ukrainets
Head Of Painters: Sergiy Zapadnia
Art Crew: Mykola Semenovsky
Art Crew: Oleksandr Ilchenko
Art Crew: Ruslan Below
Weapons Wrangler: Oleksandr Suvorow *
Animal Wrangler: Maria Vashchenko
Costume Designer: Pavlo Baklagin
Assistant Costume Designer: Marat Ibragimov
Assistant Costume Designer: Alyona Mikusevich
Hair And Make Up Artist: Marta Skalska
Make Up Artist Assistant: Anna Bebeikova
Make Up Artist Assistant: Anastasia Topilnitskay
Sound Mixer: Andrew Vaskowsky
Unit Manager: Anatoliy Koval
Set Runner: Matew Ostroukh
CFO: Olga Gapochenko
Production Accountant: Anna Zakrevska
Accounting Clerk: Marina Obrazcova
Legal: Olga Tkachuk
On Set Medic / Covid Officer: Yana Shebetyuk
Transport Coordinator: Sergii Miagkiy
Production Driver: Dima Romanets
Production Driver: Ole Piriutin
Production Driver: Oleg Karin
Production Driver: Dmytro Ostriahin
Catering Driver: Vitya Sparunskiy
Catering Manager: Tatyana Okrimenko
Catering Company: “Camera Catering”
VFX/COLOR: Blacksmith NY
Lead Compositor: Daniel Morris
Compositors: Jake Slutsky, Yebin Ahn,
Andrew Emmerson, Eric Sibley,
Thomas Panayiotou, Robert Bruce
Colorist: Michael Pehanich
Color: Assistant Sam Howells
VFX Producer: Ashley Goodwin
Executive Producer: Charlotte Arnold
Score: Luke Atencio
Sound Design And Mix: Christian Stropko
Editors: Salomon Ligthelm, Alexander Farah, Yurri Karih
Moeder: (Voice) Elsie De Brauw
*Deceased during the war.
CONTACT SHEET #17 | JOE PERRI PHOTOGRAPHY
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
Clermont-Ferrand Festival 2024 (Academy Award Qualifying) - Official Selection
Manchester Film Festival 2024 (BIFA Qualifying) - Winner 'Best Short Film'
Tirana International Film Festival 2023 (Academy Awards Qualifying) - Winner 'Best New World’
Athens International Film and Video Festival 2024 (Academy Awards Qualifying) - Official Selection
Izmir International Film Festival 2024 (Academy Awards Qualifying) - Official Selection
Leeds International Film Festival 2024 (Academy Award Qualifying) - Official Selection
Canadian Society of Cinematographers 2024 'Best Cinematography in Dramatic Short' for Farhad Ghaderi
Venezia Shorts 2024 - 'Jury Distinction Award'
War on Screen Festival 2024 - 'Best Short Film Grand Prize'
Hollyshorts 2023 (Academy Awards Qualifying) - Official Selection
LA Shorts International Film Festival 2023 (Academy Awards Qualifying) - Official Selection
Norwich Film Festival 2023 (BAFTA Qualifying) - Official Selection
Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival - Official Selection
Venice Shorts 2023 - Winner 'Best Narrative Film'
Hollywood Shortsfest 2023 - Winner 'Best Drama Short' + 'Best Sound Design'
Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival 2023 - Finalist
New York Shorts International Film Festival 2023 - Award Win 'Best International'
New York Lift-Off 2023 - Official Selection
Dumbo Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
Mirada Corta 2024 - Visiones Unicas
New York Indie Shorts Awards 2023 - Semi-Finalist
Psarokokalo in the 16th International Short Film Festival
IFF Art Film Kosice 2024 Slovakia
59KENT STREET
New York, NY 11222
PRODUCTION
SEARCH PARTY FILMS
Phone: +1 310.868.4814
Email: salomon@ligthelm.tv
RADIOAKTIVE FILMS
Address: Radioaktive Film Ukraine
Kyiv, 04050,
29-31 Glybochitska str.
Mobile: +38 050 4127700
DISTRIBUTION
ASPECT RATIO FILMS
Jordan Mattos
Managing Director
Phone: +1 917.651.5075
Email: aspectratiofilms@gmail.com
Instagram: @aspectratiofilms
Website: www.aspectratiofilms.com
MARKETING
LONDON FLAIR PR
Catherine Lynn Scott
PR Director/Publicist
Los Angeles Office: (001) 310 492 5182
London Office: +44 (0) 203 371 7945
UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7432 566355
US Cell: (001) 310 912 6934
UK: 85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, W1W 7LT
USA: 7119 W. Sunset Blvd. #150, Los Angeles, CA 90046