MIRTEMIR IS ALRIGHT
character-driven documentary, 19 min, 2024
Uzbekistan, Germany
Mirtemir is growing up in Nukus, a dusty city caught between the desert and the dead Aral Sea. His mother has moved away to earn money in a neighboring country Kazakhstan, and Tima lives with his blind grandmother. He waits tables at a fast-food joint during the day and entertains people at a mobile karaoke by night.
Days full of hard work and responsibility, too demanding even for an adult, are nonetheless full of joy and adolescent bliss.
scripted and filmed by Sasha Kulak and Michael Borodin
editor Katya Truba
sound Ilya Kanchurin
producer Julia Shaginurova, Einbahnstraße Productions and Michael Borodin, SESTRA Films
︎filmfestival-goeast.de
A HAWK AS BIG AS A HORSE
documentary fairytale, 75 min, 2022
France
A Hawk as Big as a Horse follows the daily life of Lydia, a queer
ornithologist who lives in Shcherbinka, a remote suburb of Moscow.
As Lydia embarks on remaking David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, she
decides to create Lara, a life-size silicon doll of her favorite actress.
film by Sasha Kulak
cinematography Sasha Kulak, Maryana Drogoveyko, Yakov Mironchev
music Yakov Mironchev
script doctor Olga Polevikova
producer Louis Beaudemont
3D artist Elizaveta Federmesser
Les Steppes Productions, 2022
With the support of Sundance Institute, CNC, in collaboration with ARTE La Lucarne
︎hawkfilm.io
︎businessdoceurope.com
︎thefilmverdict.com
MARA
documentary essay, 61 min, 2022
world premiere International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022
It’s 2020 and Minsk, the capital city of Belarus, is overflowing with anti-government protests.
A dreamy figure – Mara – takes us on a journey alongside the protesting crowds. Mara’s symbolic presence is a stark contrast to the harsh reality of the street. There is a determination to Mara, but also a fragility – as if her persona reflects the collective mental state of the protesters witnessing their dream for freedom turn into a nightmare
film by Sasha Kulak
featuring Rai Man O To
narration voiceover Serisu
costume designer Dymna Vyderka
music Pavel Bocharov
sound editing and re-recording mix Paata Godziashvili, Nika Paniashvili
producer Louis Beaudemont, Ksenia Gorenstein
poster artwork by Rufina Bazlova, Maria Smirnova
︎iffr.com
︎eefb.org
︎moderntimes.review
Quicksilver Chronicles
feature documentary, 75 min, 2019
A contemporary portrait that shows the present-day of three characters who,
in their youth, had an incredible amount of idealism and energy with
the expectation of creating an alternative version of the “American Dream”
directed by Ben Guez and Sasha Kulak
cinematography Sasha Kulak
produced by Ben Guez and Misha MacLaird
executive producer Pedro González Rubio
sound editor Andrey Dergachev
color correction Mikhail Khursevich
︎quicksilverchronicles.com
︎truestory.film
︎nonfiction.film
︎hollywoodreporter.com
︎Imdb
The accommodations of desire
experimental film, 18min, 2020
The Netherlands, Italian, English
The water flows on the surface of the Earth and in the underworld, this substance connects both sides of the river as margins of life. The narration is holding out the silhouette from the sketch of an artist to the symbolism of the ancient world reading small gestures. This film accommodates artist’s works by giving them a role of an oracle.
film by Darya Golova and Sasha Kulak
cinematography Sasha Kulak
music Pavel Bocharov, Ivan Maslov
re-recording mixing Andrey Dergachev
poster design Masha Maroz
︎mieff.com