Staring at the Sun
Staring at the Sun is story of broken illusions traced through four characters from completely different worlds. Their lives were linked to one place for a period of 3 months and to one idea, that of an independant and democratic Ukraine.
Eugenia, a young pacifist organized the first warm clothes distribution center on Maidan, she also helped build barricades and carried ammunition for demonstrators during the violent clashes with police. After Maidan she leaves for 1 year to work part-time as an au-pair in Belgium. On her free days she hitchhikes around Europe and films the her conversations with the drivers about .
Igor, a war veteran happens to be in Kiev when the revolution erupts. He decides to stay and is put in charge of one of the key barricades. After the revolution he returns to his hometown in the East where he anxiously awaits to join one of the volunteer batalions. In the mean time he organizes the Museum of Maidan in Zaporozhyia.
Max is an ex-policeman who takes part in capturing of the Kiev City Hall and becomes an important figure in Maidan's security forces, negociating prisoner exchanges and training security guards. When war in Donbas erupts he joins one of the right-wing volunteer batallions fighting in the Mariupol area.
Natalia is one of the most recognized Ukrainian journalists and works for the independent station Hromadske TV. When Maidan they are the only internet television to relate the events and invite some of its participants as studio guests. Through her live coverage of ongoing events and voice over she becomes a unique "participating narrator" of the film.
Staring at the Sun is not just a story of a momentary upheaval. It is a story of an amazing engagement and come back to reality in the aftermath of the revolt. These three stories provide a unique inside in what the Ukrainian society has been going through since the winter 2013 - 2014.
Eugenia, a young pacifist organized the first warm clothes distribution center on Maidan, she also helped build barricades and carried ammunition for demonstrators during the violent clashes with police. After Maidan she leaves for 1 year to work part-time as an au-pair in Belgium. On her free days she hitchhikes around Europe and films the her conversations with the drivers about .
Igor, a war veteran happens to be in Kiev when the revolution erupts. He decides to stay and is put in charge of one of the key barricades. After the revolution he returns to his hometown in the East where he anxiously awaits to join one of the volunteer batalions. In the mean time he organizes the Museum of Maidan in Zaporozhyia.
Max is an ex-policeman who takes part in capturing of the Kiev City Hall and becomes an important figure in Maidan's security forces, negociating prisoner exchanges and training security guards. When war in Donbas erupts he joins one of the right-wing volunteer batallions fighting in the Mariupol area.
Natalia is one of the most recognized Ukrainian journalists and works for the independent station Hromadske TV. When Maidan they are the only internet television to relate the events and invite some of its participants as studio guests. Through her live coverage of ongoing events and voice over she becomes a unique "participating narrator" of the film.
Staring at the Sun is not just a story of a momentary upheaval. It is a story of an amazing engagement and come back to reality in the aftermath of the revolt. These three stories provide a unique inside in what the Ukrainian society has been going through since the winter 2013 - 2014.