New Ukrainian Sci-Fi Drama Captivates Audiences
The new Ukrainian sci-fi drama "You Are Cosmos", directed by Pavel Ostrikov, is gaining popularity among viewers in Ukraine.
According to the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema, within the first month of release, the film has grossed 48.1 million UAH, with audience numbers exceeding 262,807.
The film was produced with the support of the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema in collaboration with the Belgian company ForeFilms. The story centers on Andriy, a Ukrainian space trucker who finds himself alone in the universe after a catastrophe on Earth. Unexpectedly, he connects with Catherine, a French woman in need of help.
"The film demonstrates a steady interest from audiences and highlights the presence of Ukrainian cinema in the sci-fi genre," the agency's statement reads.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2024, within the Discovery program, showcasing the best debut works from around the globe. Director Pavel Ostrikov worked on the screenplay for nearly 10 years, creating intricate sets and animatronics that moved on their own within the frame. A significant effort was put into recreating the beauty of space.
"When a planet explodes in the film and the hero is left alone at the end of the world, we all feel that situation in our lives," director Pavel Ostrikov shared in an interview with Radio Liberty.
He noted that the first draft of the screenplay was written in 2015 and reflected a childlike perspective on space. "My task was to fit my story into the knowledge I had gained. It was a compromise of narrative cinema. However, it has become more realistic, and I believe it can be considered science fiction because some theories actually exist not only in our film but in reality too," the director emphasized.
Pavel also mentioned that he was inspired by classic films such as Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar."
"Robot Maxim is an animatronic that we built together with engineers. We designed it to move within the frame, and we constructed space modules. This helped reduce graphic effects. A simple rule: if you see something with your own eyes on set and it looks good, it's good. The phrase, "we'll fix it in post-production," rarely works because our eyes still notice the difference," the director explained.
He also shared his favorite films and recommended that Ukrainians check out "There Will Be Blood" by Paul Thomas Anderson, the animation "Mary and Max", the horror-detective film "The Weapon" by Zach Kreger, "Brutalist" by Brady Corbet, and "Forrest Gump" by Robert Zemeckis.
