Halyna Khrapko de Kalyna Film
Life Train, a Ukrainian documentary produced by Kalyna Films and distributed in the region by Spanglish Movies, features the odyssey of Ukrainians forced to flee their homes after the Russian invasion.
“Many people lack to understand that Ukraine shares a 2,295 km (1,426 miles) border with Russia, or that when Russia began the invasion its troops simultaneously breached our border from every possible direction in a surprise attack giving no time for civilians to prepare to evacuate. The only viable exit route available to many was the Ukrainian railways. During the first two months of the war, approximately 4 million civilians were evacuated from various hotspots. Whether it’s a train conductor, a railway engineer, or a volunteer helping out at the station, they are doing everything they can to help save lives and continue to do so today,” explained Halyna Khrapko, CEO of Kalyna Films.
She emphasized that the documentary shows “the largest civilian evacuation the world has ever seen.” It also features many unique stories about Ukrainian railway workers, what they have been through, and the sacrifices they have made.
“Life Train was also made as a way to show our gratitude to those who saved or helped save many civilian lives. This gratitude is for train conductors, train station workers, dispatchers, railway engineers, and more. And their heroic actions were so significant that the entire world must see what they did.”
She recounted that the production crew went to places near the line of fire, where the risk of being hit by enemy bombing raids and missiles was high. “We filmed over 100 hours of content, interviewing over 70 war witnesses who stayed behind to help with the evacuation, even as their own families fled.”
Oleksandr Timenko, with extensive experience in directing TV series, was the director. Khrapko worked as a creative producer and co-writer, and together with Oleksandr she also made many interviews.
“Currently we are negotiating with several European countries and distributors. We would love it if Latin America could see it. We are considering an option to release the documentary on the international market first, and then in Ukraine,” added Khrapko.
Their relationship with Spanglish Movies began in 2021 thanks to the film Plantados, produced by Vilaplana Film. “We wanted to show the tape on the leading streaming platform in Ukraine, and we even dubbed the trailer. Unfortunately, the war broke out,” she recounted.
“We are very proud to be able to support those who brought hundreds of lives of Ukrainian women and children to safety days after the attempted Russian occupation. It is an epic project, carried out by ordinary people to protect the most vulnerable in the war. It is an honor being able to distribute this story and the message of hope it offers,” commented Gustavo R. Aparicio, Managing Director of Spanglish Movies.
“Kalyna Films is looking for international and Latin American co-productions. We hope to find in the US a distributor for our Life Train documentary and also a partner for our next projects. Right now we are developing a group of series about many civilian heroes who worked both as a team and individually to help Ukraine in this war,” Khrapko concluded.
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