Kaža’s company, Trickster Pictures, has joined the European co-production as a partner. The project’s executive producers are Halyna Kryvorchuk (Viatel) and Valeriya Sochivets and Sashko Chubko (Modern Ukrainian Cinema). Lithuanian producers Klementina Remeikaitė and Laurynas Bareiša (afterschool), German producer Hans Broich (Superzoom Film), and Dutch producer Ineke Smits (GoGoFilm) have also joined the production team.
The film is set in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its protagonist, Roman, is a Kyiv-based artist experiencing a midlife crisis, struggling with alcohol addiction and attempting to cope with the emotional toll of the war.
The artist is offered a performance project: a trilogy of re-enactments of the historical assassinations of Ukrainian political figures who lived in exile in Europe. Inspired by the opportunity to leave Ukraine, Roman embarks on a journey across Europe. Along the way, he investigates three political assassinations: those of Symon Petliura, Yevhen Konovalets and Stepan Bandera.
Roman will be portrayed by Ukrainian artist Yarema Malashchuk. His creative partner, Roman Khimey, also has a role in the film, according to the project’s producer, Valeriya Sochivets, in a comment to DTF Magazine.
In a comment to Variety, Sotnychenko said that the film reflects his own experience of trying “to remain an artist during a war in a country with closed borders but open hearts”. According to the director, the film combines a personal story with artistic expression and political exploration.
“Times New Roman is a reflection on modern Ukraine, seen through the eyes of an artist experiencing an internal conflict — torn between staying or leaving, being useful or honest, feeling or pretending. These are questions that many Ukrainians face today, and I want to explore them through the language of cinema,” Sotnychenko said.
The film is currently participating in the pitching programme at the Transylvania International Film Festival in Romania, which runs from 12 to 21 June.