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Mother. In the Name of the Millions

Inspired by the “Mother” story of Dovzhenko, world-known as Homer of Cinema. This no dialogue film tells the story of a dying son recalling his Mother. She lives during a war in an occupied territory. Out of instinct, she hides in her home an injured soldier. She takes care of him as of her own child who is also at war. Life goes on and the Mother feels as though she has another son. One day the occupants come back to the village and discover him. By interrogating the Mother and fellow villagers, they investigate whether the man is her son. And now the Mother faces her destiny, same way the millions of mothers faced it in those remarkable days which we should not forget. --- The film was selected to more than 20 film festivals, winning 6 awards.

  • Vyacheslav (Slavik) Bihun
    Director
    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6484261
  • Vyacheslav (Slavik) Bihun, Katariina Rebane
    Writer
  • Vyacheslav (Slavik) Bihun, Yuriy Chyzhmar, Veli Valentin Rajasaar
    Producer
  • Lesia LYPCHUK (Ukraine), Alexander IVASHKEVICH (Estonia), Graeme DALLAS (Scotland), Siim PÜVI (Estonia), Lana VATSEL (Croatia), Lembit HIIE (Estonia), Kätlin HALLIK (Estonia), Ilina PERIANOVA (Bulgaria), Deniss SAVCHENKO (Ukraine), Leonid TUROVSKI (Estonia)
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, War, History, Adaptation, Short
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 2, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    0 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Estonia
  • Country of Filming:
    Estonia
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Baltic Film and Media School
  • Best of BFM
    Tallinn, Estonia
    April 2014
    "Best of BFM 2014", Special Mention for creating "a very special mood"
  • Estonian Premiere
    Tallinn, Estonia
    2 May 2014
    Estonian Premiere
  • Internet Premiere
    YouTube
    May 11, 2014
  • Strasbourg Premiere
    Strasbourg, France
    June 24, 2014
  • Black Nights Film Festival - Sleepwakers
    Tallinn
    November 21, 2014
    Sleepwalkers Jury Prize - Nominated
  • Kinosaray Positive Film Festival (Ukraine, 2014)
    Obyrok
    Ukraine
  • Odessa International Film Festival (Ukraine, 2014)
    Odessa
  • Naoussa International Film Festival (Greece, 2014)
    Naoussa
  • 9. River Film Festival (Italy, 2015)
    Padua
  • Interval for War" (traveling 10 European cities - Tallinn, Vilnius, Warsaw, Budapest, Belgrade, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Kaliningrad, Riga, 2015)
    Tallinn, Vilnius, Warsaw, Budapest, Belgrade, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Kaliningrad, Riga
  • 15th International Short Film Festival “The Unprecedented Cinema” (Estonia, 2015)
    Tallinn
  • Blue Sea Film Festival (Finland, 2015)
    Finland
  • Baltic Trembit Festiva, Ukrainian Cinema Day (Estonia, 2015)
    Tallinn, Estonia
    September 6, 2015
  • Regina International Film Festival and Awards (Canada, 2015)
    Regina, Canada
    Best Actress (for Lesia Lypchuk)
  • Sose International Film Festival (Armenia, 2015)
    Yerevan, Armenia
  • Phoenix Film Festival Melbourne (Australia, 2015)
  • Goldensun Short Film Festival (Malta, 2016)
  • "Star City", the Second Friedrich Gorenstein Film Festival
    Ukraine
  • Third International Festival of Historical Films
    Kyiv, Ukraine
    April 8, 2016
    Film-opening of the Festival
  • Third Competitive Festival of Screen Arts “Pilgrim”
    Zhytomyr
    Grad-Prix
  • Mykolaychuk-Fest
    Vyzhnytsya
Director Biography - Vyacheslav (Slavik) Bihun

Ukrainian film director and legal philosopher. Educated at leading universities in Ukraine and abroad, Dr Bihun prior to turning to filmmaking worked as a lawyer at the European Court in Strasbourg. He was later trained as film director at Sorbonne (adaptation of fiction and political cinema) and Baltic Film School. The filmmaker, active from 2013-14, shot films in Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia and France, nominated at more than 100 film festivals and celebrated with over 50 awards. He's well noted for active promotion of Ukrainian cinema. One of the founders and Supervisory Board’s chairman of the newly created Directors Guild of Ukraine. Dr. Bihun supported the release of his colleague Oleg Sentsov, by joining him for 18 days in solidarity for hunger strike. (Filmography: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6484261)

Український кінорежисер і філософ права. Отримавши освіту у провідних університетах в Україні та за кордоном, В’ячеслав Бігун до заняття кіно працював юристом у Європейському суді в Страсбурзі. Пізніше він навчався як кінорежисер у Сорбонні (екранізація художньої літератури та політичного кіно) та Балтійській кіношколі. Кінорежисер, який починаючи з 2013-2014 років, фільмував в Україні, Грузії, Естонії та Франції, створив стрічки, номіновані на понад 100 кінофестивалях та відзначені понад 50 нагородами. Добре знаний активною промоцією українського кіно. Один із засновників і голова Наглядової ради новоствореної Української гільдії режисерів. В’ячеслав Бігун підтримав вимогу звільнення колеги Олега Сенцова, приєднавшись до голодування на 18 днів у знак солідарності. Фільмографія: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6484261

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This is my first fiction film. It is a serious film with moderate success (around 25 film festivals' selections, 6 major awards (no submissions to festivals with fees)). But wherever it's watched, it may bring the good feeling to audience. And this is perhaps the greatest award. The film is inspired by the story "Mother" written by Dovzhenko, known as Homer of Cinema.