Heaven+Diary
Born out of the isolation of COVID-19 lockdowns, "Heaven" began as a prayer and a song. The lyrics of "Heaven" speak to God, expressing feelings of entrapment within one's mind and environment.
"Heaven" quickly evolved into a music video, created in collaboration with Natalya Tarasova, Masha Shalagina, and Daniel Gorsky. Filming was set to begin in St. Petersburg, Russia, in February 2022. On the first day of filming, Russia invaded Ukraine, and the song instantly acquired a different meaning. The director, Maria Shalagina, an outspoken defender of freedom of speech and political freedom, immediately changed the music video's course. She expanded its scope to include a diary section documenting the circumstances surrounding its creation.
The film was edited throughout the first year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and was released in its final form in 2023.
"Heaven" began as a prayer and concludes as a prayer for freedom and peace, both internally and externally, individually and collectively.
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Masha ShalaginaDirector
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Masha ShalaginaWriter
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Natalya TarasovaProducer
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Nastya GonackovaKey Cast
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Rita LutsKey Cast
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Masha ShalaginaKey Cast"herself"
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Bjorn SuomivuoriExecutive Producer
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Daniil GorskyDirector of Photography
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Daniil GorskyFilm Editing
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Kristina KhegaiFilm Editing
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Björn SuomivuoriOriginal Song
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Jacob GrajewskiOriginal Song
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Johnny Lee MichaelsOriginal Song
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Music Video
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Genres:Drama, Thriller, Documentary, experimental
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Runtime:21 minutes 5 seconds
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Completion Date:March 5, 2023
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Production Budget:10,000 EUR
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Country of Origin:Finland
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Country of Filming:Russian Federation
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Language:Russian
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No