The documentary “Black Sunflowers,” directed by James Marcus Haney, will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and is being launched into sales by Charades and CAA Media Finance. The film focuses on the experiences of young Ukrainians navigating life and duty amidst the ongoing conflict.
“Black Sunflowers” portrays a generation of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians whose lives are shaped by martial law. Haney captures both the realities of war and the everyday moments of life, including scenes from underground clubs and fast cars. The film was created in close collaboration with a Ukrainian production team led by Volodymyr Yatsenko at Limelite.
The film is produced by Pedram Rezaee and Vlad Bolyelov, and co-produced by Yevhenii Zdorovylo, Samy Mosher, Eric Maldin, Volodymyr Yatsenko, and Anna Yatsenko, with Mikayla Jean Miller as creative producer. Sean Penn joins as an executive producer, alongside Jay and Cameron Bush, Adam Tudhope, Anna October, and Dianna Agron.
“Upon arriving to Ukraine, I was surprised to see how much normal life carried on, despite the war,” Haney said. “While the scenes we see in Western media…are true and must be seen by the world, I couldn’t help but think that mainstream media is missing half of the story.” He noted that while front line footage is necessary, the film also aims to show “the things, places, and people worth fighting for, and their everyday stories in extraordinary circumstances.”
Haney observed that the young people he met, who have experienced both the pandemic and now war, share similar dreams and tastes with youth elsewhere. “I’ve met an electronic DJ who enlisted in the army and still performs back home when he is on leave. A nature photographer turned war journalist. Teenagers who now already have 2.5 years of combat experience at the zero line. Lovers pulled apart to different battlegrounds. And as I looked into these faces, I couldn’t help but see parts of myself,” he stated.
The film’s soundtrack features music from Fred again.., Brian Eno’s Secret Life project, Brad Oberhofer, Koloah, Aphex Twin, Four Tet, Idles, Sega Bodega, Nastya Vogan, Два Два Дев’ять, Ann Annie, Morwan, and concludes with a Kyiv choir performing a version of Morphine’s “Do Not Go Quietly Unto Your Grave.”
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy