Make Art Not War

Four Ukrainians, two Russians, one Belarusian and one Finnish are joining forces following the launch of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022. They are conscientious objectors and pacifists and they join their voices in parallel monologues from their bombed cities and unknown exiles to call for peace. They share their fears and their hopes, their ideas and their dreams, through a joint performance of excerpts of classical anti-war masterpieces from their countries. They revive the unfinished Russian drama “The light that shines in darkness” by Leo Tolstoy from 1890, the Ukrainian poem “Dream” by Taras Shevchenko from 1844, and the Belarusian poem “Abandoned fields and villages / Songs of War” by Yanka Kupala from 1914. Remotely, yet jointly. In parallel, yet in line.

  • Alexia Tsouni
    Director
  • Leo Tolstoy
    Writer
  • Taras Shevchenko
    Writer
  • Yanka Kupala
    Writer
  • FemArtAct KOIN.S.EP.
    Producer
  • Elena Popova
    Key Cast
  • Olga Karatch
    Key Cast
  • Ruslan Kotsaba
    Key Cast
  • Kateryna Lanko
    Key Cast
  • Yurii Sheliazhenko
    Key Cast
  • Jessica Calonius
    Key Cast
  • Serhii Ustimenko
    Key Cast
  • Alexander Belik
    Key Cast
  • Friedhelm Schneider
    Poster photo
  • Russian Movement of Conscientious Objectors to Military Service (Движение сознательных отказчиков от военной службы)
    Special Thanks
  • Ukrainian Pacifist Movement (Український Рух Пацифістів)
    Special Thanks
  • Belarusian Nash Dom (НАШ ДОМ)
    Special Thanks
  • Finnish Union of Conscientious Objectors (Aseistakieltäytyjäliitto AKL)
    Special Thanks
  • European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO)
    Special Thanks
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 24, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Greece
  • Country of Filming:
    Finland, Lithuania, Russian Federation, Ukraine
  • Language:
    Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alexia Tsouni

Alexia Tsouni is the director of the documentary “Peace vs Piece” shot in Palestine (2019), the animation “CoronaViolence” shot in Greece (2020), the documentary “Back to Life” shot in Greece and Bangladesh (2021), the docufiction “HANTUSH - a fairytale” shot in Palestine and Spain (2022), and the experimental “Make Art Not War” shot in Ukraine (2023); all of them produced by the “FemArtAct” social cooperative enterprise for collective and social benefit purposes. Alexia Tsouni is a Civil Engineer and works as a Research Associate at the National Observatory of Athens. She is an activist in greek and international movements for human rights and peace, including “To Mov” grassroots feminist association, "Amnesty International - Greek Section", and the “European Bureau for Conscientious Objection”. She is also a member of “WIFT GR - Women in Film and Television Greece”.

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