SOLDIERS OF SONG
FRI, 12/6, 2:30pm, 90 min
BAY STREET THEATER
Director Ryan Smith in attendance for Q&A with Andrew Botsford
Director: Ryan Smith
Producer: Ryan Smith
Editors: Kadim Tarasov, Julia Bolshinska
Cinematographers: Artem Poznanskyi, Stas Gurenko, Kadim Tarasov, Julia Bolshakova, Bastian Fischer, Vicky Markolefa, Yegor Terletskyi, Mykola Hrinenko, Oleg Giyenko, Lev Kostenko, Olga Gurenko, Illia Kolbasin, Yaroslav Nikolyn, Sergey Malii
Set during the genocidal Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the film delves into the extraordinary journey of Ukraine’s musicians as they strive to unite their nation through the transformative power of music. Some of the country’s most beloved musicians – Slava Vakarchuk, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, and Svitlana Tarabarova – open their hearts and share their experiences of life under the shadow of Russian aggression. The production team persevered through air raid sirens, power outages, and the echoes of missiles to craft a narrative that captures the resilience, culture, and spirit of the Ukrainian people.
Ryan Smith’s previous work, NFL 360: Who If Not Us, followed a group of football players in Ukraine who confronted the turmoil of the Russian invasion by joining the military in defense of their country.