Filmmaking is a young art, and this affects the meanings it attempts to convey.

How is it going?

Roman: We have a lot of work to do, completing several projects simultaneously.
Yarema: Yes, we have both artistic ideas and commercial orders. We really need a time manager, a human being, not an Iphone app.

What are you doing right now?

Roman: Directing in 2 ways – movies and fashion projects. Also Yarema and I are making a full-length documentary – it is something we are trying to work on, but get less and less time for it. It is about pilgrims on their way to the Christian Mecca on the Holy Mother’s Day. We are making a movie about people, about a human face, so it is not much about religion per se.

How did you start working together?

Roman: We are fellow townsmen.
Yarema: We are from Kolomyia, and have many friends in common. Then we entered the same institution of higher education and our similar interests resulted in common work. It is easier to implement ideas in a team, when you have someone to rely on. We did not always do something. First comes a long discussion and it takes a lot of time. Actual work is about 20% of the total time.

Isn’t it difficult to work together?

Roman: Conflict is inevitable. We have the same vision of this or that moment, set-up or scene. We follow different ways, but go together to the same goal. Movies are a team sport.
Yarema: One should understand that it is not just art, but output, like working in a mine.

Why movies?

Roman: We started from photography in 2010. We did street photos, but then it fell by the wayside. In a couple of years we found ourselves in the movies. We made Nail with a director and our friend Philip Sotnichenko.
Yarema: In fact, we do everything together, and our approach is different from vision of large fashion companies, for instance.
Roman: We do the best when improvising. On the brink of failure, when it seems we won’t make it. The best things are created in the middle of arguments and stress.

Filmmaking is a mixed type of art. Does it make things difficult? Simple? Just different?

Roman: I think this combination nature of movies is the reason why this art is not as recognized, as for instance fine arts.
Yarema: Filmmaking is a young art, and this affects the meanings it attempts to convey. It is quickly developing and has many fans, despite the short time it has been in existence. Art video is a separate type of filmmaking. For instance, our work that we prepared specifically for this competition was shortlisted for PinchukArtCentre 2018. Creative work is born by cutting off everything that is not essential: something that is bad, silly or outdated. You use it and move in the right direction. What will happen if we make a movie for a museum using tools of filmmaking and not art? We had different ideas and made our choice out of five.
Roman: Boris Godunov’s theme is overworked, and we wondered whether we were up to the challenge. But it turned out well – some sort of rethinking of meanings, a provocation.
Yarema: This movie has the feel of a rehearsal, of some things left unsaid, like the entire topic of the people and politics.

How did it feel to win the PinchukArtCentre 2018?

Roman: We didn’t expect it. After all, we are not artists. We made a movie, so we were a bit out of context. This uncertainty is ever present, as if you did not do everything you could.
Yarema: Making this movie was very difficult, the hardest work we have ever done.
Roman: We did not have compositional originality, a code or a move. I didn’t want to operate the camera, and neither did Yarema.
Yarema: I wasn’t even present at the awards ceremony. I was at the filming set. When our work was shortlisted, it alone was a victory. Because it was unexpected.
Roman: I should mention that we often visited PinchukArtCentre when we were students. It was the only place where one could see modern art. Back then we didn’t even dream of winning such an award.

How come you made a video for BURSA?

Roman: We made a video for our biennale, we met Vasiliy Grogol at the event and he offered cooperation.
Yarema: It took us a very short time – three hours – to make three short videos.
Roman: I like the one with workers most of all. We wanted more of something like that – they appear, pose for photos, embrace. Seminaries have interesting history, history of common people.
Yarema: One of the workers – Igor from Burshtyn, which is not far from Kolomyia, even took acting classes.
Roman: Seriously, he was quick to understand everything. “Guys, I know everything, Dovzhenko did it before”.
Yarema: Most people are simple. You just need to understand their language.

If you had to make one scene representing Kyiv, what would it be?

Yarema: Ukrainian flag against the blue sky. Something inherent in the country.
Roman: What does the flag have to do with it? I think it would be a nostalgic fast-motion scene of people walking on Khreshchatyk. In black-and-white.
Yarema: Or in sepia mode.