The new documentary film “Cuba and Alaska” directed by Egor Troyanovsky, which tells the story of two best friends-paramedics, military servicemen of Cuba and Alaska, has been released in Ukraine . Vogue . ua followed the heroines of the film, as well as producer Olga Bregman, and reveals how this devastating film about wives in the country was created.
What is the film about?
“You don’t need to destroy the world, try to destroy anyone you want”: it is from this line of Sergiy Zhadan, who, in the face of Russian shelling, quote the heroine of the film, that the picture “Cuba and Alaska” begins.
A whole lot of life, energy, humor, and also a great film about paramedic friends who defend Ukraine and protect the lives of military personnel on the front line. The episode begins with the moment of evacuation from the battlefield, and then the camera literally follows the characters, showing their life at the front, everyday life in battle, destructive everyday moments, their friendship, mutual support and Rare scenes from civil life – for example, if Cuba, as in the “pre-war” life, was engaged in clothing design, going to Paris, or to take part in the Civil Fashion in 2023.
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According to the words of the film’s producer Olga Bregman, the idea for the film “Cuba and Alaska” appeared in the spring of 2022. “The director Yegor Troyanovsky and I worked in the Kharkiv region and helped foreign journalists shed light on the war. We knew Cuba before, and even knew it from the volunteer headquarters. And then friends saying that Cuba would now serve with Alaska and for us it was somehow unrealistic: two girls from Cuba and Alaska would serve at the same time, and the offended paramedics went to their friends and recorded the first interview. realized that The stench is even cooler and charismatic. The girls also gave us a video of how they removed the stinks on their own, and everything fit into one puzzle.”
“This film for us will no longer be about the war, but about living in the hour of war,” Olga adds. “It’s about how girls survive death, discover new possibilities, work, think about the past, create.”
Who are Cuba and Alaska?
Cuba and Alaska – paramedics Yulia Sidorova and Oleksandra Lisitska, “hospitalists”. Cuba serve since 2014; In 2019, she turned to civil life – she took up clothing design, created a powerful brand. In 2022, the army, with the beginnings of a full-scale war, turned to the front and immediately began evacuating the wounded from the battlefield in a warehouse for the “Hospitalier” paramedic battalion.
Alaska is a medical doctor behind the fag. The girls met a lot of fates while visiting Kubi.
The Axis remembers Alaska: “I came to Cuba on a visit with my friend Alla Martinyuk. First, I thought about Cuba: “Wow, that’s such a great place.” Later, we met in the war, at the battalion warehouse “Hospitaliers.” Our friendship actually began during the war, because before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine we were more friends than we were friends. dear ones, although I don’t know what’s possible “even more.”
How the loan process was carried out
As producer Olga Bregman tells us about the axis:
“Right from the very beginning, we were talking about those that it is important for us to be with the heroines in the future. Ale Cuba and Alaska said that at the time of evacuation, if they stop their work, a significant group cannot guarantee, otherwise not to risk insecurity. That’s why we They came up with the idea that from now on they will be using GoPro or phones, and for the sake of their ability, they will be able to take pictures on their own. GoPro, get rid of the fragments I knew that it was like that and was lost in the frame.
We didn’t have any common restrictions or taboos. The girls took everything they needed. Only during the hour of evacuation were there important shots, a lot of blood, and emotionally complex moments, and we replaced them with a black screen. We were afraid if it seemed to us that the captured frames were too sensitive to show everything in detail to the naked eye.”
And this is how Cuba herself describes the filming process: “When a significant group arrived, the camera actually followed us everywhere. Despite the combat missions: if they were carrying wounded fighters and civilians, and sometimes damaged infrastructure, then a significant group was not taken out of the security zone. And those loans, like We worked on a GoPro camera on our own, for example, I never wondered what kind of video there was in order to give more information without embellishment. I simply directed their commands – that’s all.”
About the most devastating scenes in the film
The process of getting married was difficult for two years, but the most difficult thing was to get orders from Cuba and Alaska at the right time with cameras, says Olga Bregman. So, the film shows the moment when in 2023 Cuba, as a designer, will take part in Tizhny Fashion in Paris. This moment is one of the most destructive in the picture, and also demonstrates that after the war, life in Ukraine will continue, and today’s people, who just yesterday were busy with completely different speeches from the civilian live, despite all the difficulties and stress, find the ability to create and cope with love.
So, according to the producer, for the filming in Paris, it was necessary to quickly change the camera crew, even though the cameramen did not understand the appointed term to cancel all necessary permission to travel.
Paris also got a French cameraman.
Another special scene in the film is Kubi’s friend with her mother, who is hanging around in Spain. “As for me, the friend Kubi and his mother are one of the most interesting in the picture,” says Olga Bregman. – These are understandable and important for the skin, and I think people will understand that if you don’t take care of your mother for a long time, and sometimes you don’t pay for her insurance, and even if you think you might die, then that’s it very emotional. And Cuba hasn’t looked after her dog Bubochka for a long time, she won’t love her much.”
About the contrasts of life
“Cuba and Alaska” accurately depicts the contrasts of life: the girls struggle in the face of shelling, and the girls draw on notepads, fry, and enjoy various everyday joys during the busy hour. Zokrema, it is shown that Cuba will continue to work on the design of the clothes. “We have a workshop that produces military uniforms for women,” she says. “Unfortunately, there have recently been shocks due to the Russian shelling of Kiev. From time to time we are able to implement small creative projects with my team in the workshop, Stanislav Bitus and Ganna Suvorkina. It’s really been a while since I’m tired of everything. I have nowhere to turn.”
“In the film, you can see that I’m trying to paint, work on sketches of images for our brand,” continues Kuba. “And in everyday life, it’s appropriate for me, if, for example, there are no vibukhs, if you can drink a restaurant, join in warm clothes, live a quiet, normal life, go wherever you like near the Carpathians. vpevnena, scho I can find those that are less greedy and far away.
About the reaction to the film
The film by Yegor Troyanovsky is a booming festival. The light premiere of the episode “Cuba and Alaska” was held at the Sheffield Doc Fest film festival in Great Britain, and the film was released in two cities at the Brussels Film Festival. Behind the words of the heroine of the film, the way in which her story is told – broad and in-depth – allows viewers to realize that before them are “not superheroes, but ordinary people.” “For me, the most incredible thing was that people cried after watching the film,” says Alaska.
About the film
The film “Cuba and Alaska” contains, among other things, one important speech – it deconstructs the myths and advances in the history of wives' friendships, the effectiveness of wives in war, and Alaska is celebrated. “The page shows those who are at war – the same people you see every day on the streets, in barns, near the metro. These are all real people, not some real-life superheroes, these are people with their own pain, their experiences And with love, people who were definitely not “born for war,” but they are here now and will do everything in their power to bring our victory closer.”
“It is important for civilians to marvel at such films, because they can guess at what price a peaceful life is given, like Cuba. – In fact, there is a human shield in front of them. The page shows that the people who are stealing the country are people with fears, With all this, people have learned how important it is to defend their country. If you are afraid to go to war, then remember: if everyone is afraid, war will come. them. no one can help. “I also believe that this film will motivate people to join the Defense Forces.”
The film “Cuba and Alaska” can be seen in Ukrainian cinemas
