Zhytomyr Student Film Festival, or «Zhuk», known in Zhytomyr and far beyond its borders. During four years of work, a huge number of young actors, operators, refferents received their dreams of Oscar. Someone after the festival decided on the future profession, someone believed in their own strength, and someone just was lucky to feel love and respect. Once great Remarque said that cinema is always a way out. Probably, that’s why our conversation with the founder of the film festival «Zhuk» Bohdan Yaremchuk was not limited to purely «cinematic» themes …
«The history of the festival began in 2014. For two consecutive years in the summer, we were conducting cinema competitions in the children’s camp. At that time, I was working in the press service of the city council, and I thought: «What can this be realized in Zhytomyr?» There was the idea of making such a festival for the city. I did not see similar formats, I did not know how it was done. Then we picked up the team and started thinking about the strategy. The idea was as follows: we will do it, like «Oscar», but for schoolchildren. From the outset, they focused on gaming films, where children as actors and directors would themselves write scripts, play and then receive awards. I have seen various children’s contests, but there was no such format. The idea was shared and the city council supported us … Then the public organization «Creative Studio Drystep», was registered, presented presentations and launched advertising in schools. In the first year, 17 Zhytomyr schools took part in the film festival «Zhuk»
«We chose the theme of the first movie «Be a hero! «In no way: 2014 was an active military campaign, and we thought we could do it here at home. We understood that each of us, each student, could be a hero where he is. Someone goes to war and protects the Motherland, and someone stays in his city and does heroic deeds here: helps friends, acquaintances, protects the nature, changes the world around him»
«After the registration of the participants, we conduct master classes in four main areas: the basis for writing a script and directing, the basis of acting, the basis of video and video editing. Age qualifications of participants are different, the main requirement – to be a student or a schoolgirl. We had the role of actors from the first-second grade, the second-graders were even winners»
«No one thought and did not believe that children would be able to shoot something. They said, «How are the children doing this movie?». And when they got the first results, they were all delighted. Every year we try to expand the geography: at first the city, then two regional, and last year – all-Ukrainian»
«Sometimes we learn how the fate of children after the festival has developed. One of the winners of the very first movie theater went to study at the College of Arts and Culture. Ivan Ogienko Anna Tarasenko, who has been a member of the «ZHUK» for three years, is studying at the Ivan Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema and Television. Moreover, when she entered high school, she brought her works from the film festival. Teachers during the competitive selection did not believe at first that the children themselves filmed, and for girls it was a great bonus, and she learns for free. But even this is not the main thing. Our main goal is to give children faith in their own strength. They have to believe that they can achieve their dreams and in the future become famous actors, stars of cinema»
«The most memorable are emotions. The work itself lasts for a long time, nobody sees what is going on behind the scenes, and at the ceremony of rewarding you are filled with emotions. Children are happy with awards and are happy. They write about it, exhibit photos from the festival, share their victories. At one of the awards ceremony, the girl, after the announcement of the results, photographed about an hour, walked with a figurine, and then wrote a penetrating post about how the festival influenced her and changed her. When children say how important it is to them, you really understand that everything is done for nothing and it changes their lives»
«Sometimes the participants hope that the jury will pay attention to how cool or professional they are shooting the film. This is really important, but often the jury looks at the other: what emotion or idea wants to convey to the viewer. The competition is honest and nobody condemns anyone. On the other hand, nobody ever influenced us and did not decide who would be a prize»
«We get movies of different genres. For example, we had a comedy – the children were filming about how their parents lived in the 90’s. That film received two awards – for the best costumes and for the best male role of the second plan. We do not restrict children in genres, we can film anything about anything, but we are talking about a certain censorship at the beginning of work. Participants shot social advertisements in the form of short films, they also sent drama showing the murder. And although the most tragic event in the film was not depicted, but ketchup and tragic music were. A very serious movie came out»
«A lot of negativity is now, so we are making a thematic festival to orient the children in the right direction. We want to form their citizenship, social responsibility, patriotism. Each topic is always thought out, it is solved within a few months. We raised a variety of topics: «Be a hero!», «I am the winner!», Then switched to the topic of the family, and children took pictures of respect, love for parents. There was the theme «My future is Ukraine!». Since many people are now looking for their fate abroad, we talked about the fact that in Ukraine it is possible to pursue a career and find oneself, to become a professional. This year we will shoot movies on «I value life!» – Let’s talk about bullying and respect for other people»
«I am a believer and I think that faith must be proved not by words, but by his affairs, attitude and attitude towards people. Someone motivates money, somebody’s faith and desire to change the world. No one needs to impose his own position, but spirituality must still be present in every person»
«We are assisted, but for such a project, we need more serious support both sponsor and financial. To grow every year, we need more money, and we can not even rent a office or take an administrator’s salary. People are helping us with enthusiasm, neither those who speakers, the presenter, nor the media are asking for money, and in fact such support is very valuable. But to bring the festival to the international level, you need help, you need a Ukrainian or international organization that wants to develop the festival. If we want to change the thinking of this generation of children, this work needs to be done systematically for ten or twenty years. Current students like to shoot and shoot»
«My specialty is teacher of history and jurisprudence, but since childhood I dreamed of filming a movie. My usual parents are a working family, and I did not know how I can realize my dream. I did not believe it was real. I just needed to get a higher education for free. I liked the direction of history and jurisprudence, I went to the budget, although there was a big competition. In the first three years of study, I still planned to go to work in the village. I like village schools in general, there is some romanticism in it, but at the senior courses I already understood that I do not want to relate my life to teaching work. I understood that, first, teachers do not earn enough, and secondly, they found their own vocation in another»
«Once and for all the capture of photo and video has won. First I photographed, then filmed videos, videos, and then invited half-time to mount the program. Then he worked for the full time, but there was still a great desire to work for someone. From 2015 I work on my own»
«Money has never motivated me, only the purpose and the idea. Once I dreamed of creating a studio, I still dream about it. Because I believe that the water is sharpening the stone, I am sure that once my dream will come true»
«I really want «Zhuk» to grow and develop. When we came to businessmen in Zhytomyr for the first years, we were asked to show figures and give concrete results that can be felt. I understand everything, but I can not convince people that the result is not always quantitative – sometimes it is a result in the heart and thinking of schoolchildren. How can you measure it? You can not show them who this baby is going to be in the future and how much the project is important to each participant. We will see some results only in a few years»
«When you have family on the scales on one side, financial responsibility, and on the other hand, patriotism and project, comes a certain moment – and you have to make a choice. When there is no stable funding, you are weighing every year. Now, I can not say that I will always organize a film festival or that I will constantly burn it, because sometimes there are circumstances when you just have to leave everything and take care of your family. There is pragmatism, and I understand that if there is no support … When there is not enough bread at home, you are no longer in the projects, not in the festival. When people talked about what they definitely earned there, I wanted to invite them home and show the refrigerator. We do not earn money at the film festival, we often invest in the project more often, and when it finishes, we return to normal life and start earning money for our family. But this is a sad part. Merry – we believe and hope for the best»
«I put myself in the place of the participants: if at that time such a festival was held, I would definitely take part in it, for me it would be very cool and cool. And because I did not have such a childhood that I did not survive the emotions of self-affirmation, that someone believes in me that I am special that I have a talent … Once in schools more talked «you are stupid», “you are nobody» , «You will not succeed». It is necessary that someone believes in children! And if they from childhood understand that they have talents, they believe in them, they love them, then in 20 years we will have a completely different nation. They will not agree to have «unfriendly» around them, they will create Ukraine. Yes, of course, the country will change gradually, but do not want it to last for 100 years. There are experiences from other countries, and they need to borrow and change their lives»
«I once said such a phrase: «I want to change the world!». When we hold the «Zhuk» Film Festival, I understand that the world is changing a little bit. Maybe it’s not so obvious, but when you see what really affected one child, the second, the third, the fourth … We sow the grain, and once will be a good fruit»
«There has always been a goal that this was our, Zhytomyr film festival. We were told: «Why do not you do it in Kyiv?» But in Kyiv so many things are spent! It would be desirable that this was our highlight for people to know about Zhytomyr not only thanks to socks and ice cream, but as a city in which the international school film festival is held. Maybe in Kyiv and more finances, but I want to raise our region, our culture. I do not want to go anywhere – I love Zhytomyr»
Translated by Aliona Matushevich
