DISTANCE TO INDEPENDENCE / ВІДСТАНЬ ДО НЕЗАЛЕЖНОСТІ

1 day ago
2 min read

2026 / 70' / documentary / Ukraine, Canada

On 24 August 1991, Ukraine declared its independence. But no one recognised it. The US was against it. Russia was making threats. 70 per cent of Ukrainians had recently voted to preserve the USSR. Soviet troops were stationed in Kyiv. And just 99 days separated us from a scenario where it all would have ended before it had even begun. This is a film about those who prevented that from happening — and about why their struggle is our struggle today.

Screenings schedule:

Buy ticket

DIRECTOR - DARIA SARYCHEVA

Biography

She was born on 21 October 1985. She is a citizen of Ukraine. Whilst in her final years of secondary school, she worked as an assistant director on the ‘Everything for You’ program on the Inter TV channel. She subsequently enrolled at the National Academy of Culture and Arts Management in Kyiv, specializing in ‘Directing variety shows and theatrical performances.’ Whilst studying, she worked as an editor at various production companies. She later enrolled at the Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television and qualified as a television director. After graduating from university, she secured a job as a director at the STB television channel. She worked on the programs ‘Ukraine’s Got Talent’ (seasons 3, 4, 5, and 6) and ‘The X Factor’ (seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5) and served as second director for the live broadcasts of these same programs. She was the director of the 2013 ‘Pride of the Nation’ project. She also took part as an assistant director for the live broadcast of the Queen and Elton John concert in 2012.

Since 2015, she has worked at ‘1+1 Production’ as a director on the programs ‘The Voice. Kids’ (seasons 2, 3, and 4), ‘Little Giants,’ and ‘The Voice of the Country’ (seasons 5, 6, 7, and 8). She worked as assistant director on the live broadcast of ‘Independence Day with Okean Elzy’ from Lviv in 2014. She also worked as an assistant director on the production of television versions of concerts by Ukrainian pop stars (Tina Karol, Vopli Vidoplyasova, TiK, Ivan Dorn) and the memorial concert for Andrii Kuzmenko (Kuzma). As a PTS director, she filmed Oleksandr Ponomariov’s concert. In 2017, she filmed Monatik’s concert ‘Vitamin D 360’, which won the ‘Teletriumph’ award for best televised concert. That same year, she also worked as an assistant director on the live broadcast of the show ‘Dancing with the Stars: The Return of a Legend.’

Since 2014, she has been working as a production director on historical projects, notably ‘Ukraine: Reclaiming Our History’.

Selected filmography