Dad’s Lullaby

Cannes Docs

Dad’s Lullaby

Original title: Татова колискова

Directed by: Lesia Diak

Produced by: Lesia Diak (DramaFree, Ukraine), Monica Lazurean-Gorgan (FilmWays, Romania), Elena Martin (FilmWays, Romania), Dagne Vildziunaite (Just a moment, Lithuania)

Country of production: Ukraine, Romania

Runtime: 75'

Expected release: November, 2023

Production stage: Post-production, Rough cut stage

Budget: €200.050

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Festivals, sales agents, distributors, buyers, gap financing

Synopsis:

Serhiy returns home after 3 years at war, between Ukraine and Russia, deeply burned out. He served as a commander and was responsible for other people’s lives. The veteran starts working night shifts, dedicates short hours of rest to his three sons and wife. War trauma manifests when the couple starts expecting a baby. After a large-scale invasion Serhiy is forced to defend Ukraine on the frontline again.

Director’s profile:

Lesia Diak is a Ukrainian documentary film director and producer. Before shifting career to filmmaking she worked for 7 years in the area of journalism and communications. Lesia graduated from the Serhiy Bukovsky Film Program in 2017. In 2022, she completed her studies at DocNomads, an international documentary film directing Master’s program. She created several short documentaries selected for international film festivals and primarily dedicated to trauma and healing experience. Her work-in-progress feature-length documentary debut “Dad’s Lullaby” has received the award for the best documentary film in post-production at Docu Sarajevo Talents from the East, a special mention and won the post-production grant from IDFA Bertha Fund. In 2023 Lesia founded DramaFree film production company.

Producer’s profile:

Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan is an experienced producer and a member of the AMPAS/Oscar, as well as EFA. Monica is the producer of the successful documentary Acasa, My Home by Radu Ciorniciuc, winner of the Sundance Cinematography Award and other 40 international awards, delegate producer for Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie and co-producer for Chuck Norris vs Communism by Ilinca Calugareanu. Monica is the director for feature length documentaries such as A Mere Breath, winner of Best Doc in Sarajevo IFF, Best Doc in CEE Vienna IFF, co-director of Wood, premiered in HotDocs and CPH:Dox 2020 etc.