Production has commenced on powerful anthology series Those Who Stayed, produced by Film U.A: the first international series to go into production in Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Those Who Stayed is a six-part anthology series inspired by true stories of people in Kyiv during February and March of 2022, following the start of the Russian invasion. This unique series showcases stories of hope and triumph in the face of adversity, with a touch of humor.
Those Who Stayed is codeveloped and cofinanced with Red Arrow Studios International (Germany). SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland) are coproducing. Further announcements are pending.
“Nordic partners boarding a Ukrainian project codeveloped with a German studio shows that we can do great things together. We are excited to share this important story with the world!” – Kateryna Vyshnevska, Head of Development and Co-productions at FILM.UA Group says.
The first filming block covering three out of six episodes went into production on March 17 in and around Kyiv. The second block will commence in April. Series delivery is planned for Autumn 2023.
“During our darkest moments, we wanted to share the light of our people. We wanted to share the stories of Ukrainians who remained in Kyiv during the most uncertain and dangerous time, in the initial months of the war. While every second person left, every second person stayed – because something kept them: duty, love, responsibility, principle… And in these dark times, we wanted to show the world the light of Ukrainian talent: actors, directors, cameramen, and artists. They all stayed to fight and win,” – says Anastasiia Lodkina, series showrunner.
Red Arrow Studios International will distribute the series globally.