“Film has become my way of reconnecting with Ukraine’s new reality and, hopefully, a starting point for healing.”
February 23, 2022, in a small town near Kyiv, newlyweds Taras (35) and Olia (32) spend their first night in their new apartment. At dawn, they are awakened by explosions. They won’t be able to leave the town for a while; meanwhile, Russian troops have set up headquarters in their building. The couple find themselves trapped in their apartment without electricity, water, or mobile phone service. Over the next five days, Taras and Olia will explore the abyss of true intimacy between two people and confront crucial existential questions in a situation of mortal danger.
In ‘Honeymoon,’ the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is portrayed from the most intimate perspective. Zhanna Orzina makes her feature film debut with a film in which the personal and the historical intertwine through the lives of newlyweds trapped in their apartment while the war outside shatters their reality.
Zhanna Ozirna’s statement
February 23, 2022, a small town near Kyiv. Taras (35) and Olia (32) spend the first night in their new apartment. At dawn, they wake up from the explosions. They fail to leave the town on time, meanwhile, the Russian troops arrange headquarters in their building.
The couple finds themselves trapped in their flat with no electricity, water, and mobile connection. For the next 5 days, Taras and Olia will explore the black abyss of real intimacy between two people and face crucial existential questions in mortal danger.
“I heard this story from a friend of mine who lives in a small town near Kyiv. He is from an art circle as well, with a similar background. I live in the suburbs of Kyiv, too, so I could easily have been in their place. Only two villages separated me from the occupied area. For some reason,
I feel this strange burden, a guilt of not having this awful experience, not sharing the most tough and challenging moment in my friend’s life. I think, I wanted to be closer to him and feel what he felt, at least in the form of art. Cinema became my way of reconnection with the new reality, and, hopefully, a starting point in the healing process.
Therefore, I interviewed people who went through the Russian occupation and recorded their fresh memories about the events. I felt the need to adjust the story to the way I experience this war — to the challenges my generation faces right now and the choices we are forced to make, to the way we rethink the normal value system.
Eventually, it was crucial for the whole crew to bring Ukraine out of the stereotypical box of news reports. Through this intimate and minimalist love story, we bring the Western viewer closer to the drama of our war and our fight, taking place here and now.
The story is about two people under the pressure of mortal danger — they are full of plans for the future, trapped in the horror of the present. This is the exploration of their bond from different angles: love in all aspects, gender roles, intimacy, sex, self-confidence, fear and panic, tenderness and, at the end of the day, complete trust”.
