Directors Mariia Mykhno & Anastasiia Bazdyrieva: cinema as the voice of Ukraine
- BOMOND VIP fashion magazine
- 10 hours ago
- 13 min read
When reality is forced through its most difficult trials, art itself often becomes a testament to its time — a place where memory is born, truth is preserved, and the future takes shape. For directors Mariia and Anastasiia, cinema is a responsibility to people, history, and a country whose voice today must resonate far beyond its borders.
The stars of BOMOND VIP Fashion Magazine’s August DIGITAL cover are My Mary Production co-founders and directors Mariia Mykhno and Anastasiia Bazdyrieva. From personal testimonies of Russian aggression to international collaborations in Los Angeles, in our new editorial feature we discuss the documentary film Mariupol Survivors, the international recognition of Ukrainian cinema, the creation of their own production company, the power of documentary filmmaking, the new era of AI-driven film production, and the mission of Ukrainian directors within the global film industry.
“Our professional mission is to build a cultural and creative bridge between Ukraine and the international film industry.”
Anastasiia and Mariia, your professional projects are now attracting attention both in Ukraine and internationally. I know that before launching your own film projects, you worked for leading national media companies, and that your professional careers were connected with one of Ukraine’s largest media groups. Where did your creative journey in directing and film production begin? When did you realize that cinema would become the primary language through which you would speak to the world?
Anastasiia: In Ukraine, I worked as a television journalist and video editor for leading national media companies. In particular, my professional experience includes working with Starlight Media, one of the largest media groups in Ukraine and the region, which includes the STB, Novyi Kanal, and ICTV television networks. I also worked for the 1+1, Ukraina, and Inter television channels.
Immediately before the full-scale invasion, I was already planning to gradually transition from television to the film industry. But the war changed all our plans. We decided to leave the country, so I had to undergo this professional transformation while in emigration. After the full-scale invasion began, we moved to Warsaw, where I continued my professional career as an on-camera presenter for Polish public broadcaster Telewizja Polska.
The first projects Mariia and I worked on together in Poland involved filming and editing videos about the war. We were trying to share truthful information and speak about what was happening in Ukraine. At the end of 2022, after moving to the United States, we realized that we needed to continue this work and find a way to reach an American audience specifically. It was important for us to tell the world about the crimes committed by the Russian Federation and its military, to share the experiences of Ukrainian civilians, and to contribute, through our profession, to Ukraine’s future victory.
Mariia: I am a director by training. In Ukraine, I worked on television series, films, and other audiovisual projects, and later held senior positions in television production. My professional experience includes working with Starlight Media and its television channels STB, Novyi Kanal, and ICTV, as well as with the Ukraina television channel. Another important chapter was my collaboration with FILM.UA Group on the production of television series and films. In addition to our primary professions, Anastasiia and I also gained experience as actresses in Ukraine. Before the full-scale war began, there were relatively few film projects in Ukraine, and for a young director, entering the industry was far from easy. After we moved to Warsaw, I worked at International Media Publisher as a team lead, overseeing the production of social-issue videos that were broadcast across six continents.
After the invasion, Anastasiia and I felt that we had to use our strongest professional skill to influence public opinion: telling stories. Some Americans still do not fully understand why supporting Ukraine matters not only to Ukrainians, but also to the security of the entire democratic world. Through art and cinema, we wanted to convey that Russian aggression will not simply stop on its own if it is allowed to prevail. It was this realization that became the starting point for our work on the documentary film.
Your documentary film Mariupol Survivors has become not only a work of art, but also an important record of historical events. How did the film’s directorial concept take shape? Which creative decisions were fundamental to you throughout its production?
Mariia: As the film’s director, I understood that in documentary filmmaking, it is essential to find a powerful story and people who are willing to share it. There are countless people who have suffered, but not everyone can or wants to revisit a traumatic experience, let alone speak about it in front of a camera.
For Anastasiia and me, one principle was non-negotiable: under no circumstances could we cause further harm to our subjects. That is why the search for participants was preceded by an extensive period of research and sensitive conversations with potential contributors. We were fortunate to meet three remarkable women whose testimonies became the foundation of the film: Maria, a young student; a young mother of three; and an older woman whose son was already eighteen when the full-scale invasion began.
We wanted to present three distinct female experiences: how each of them tried to escape the besieged city, make her way through hell, and save the people she loved. Sadly, not everyone managed to do so. Our film is ultimately a story about the human cost of war, loss, resilience, and the struggle for survival.
The film has been presented to international audiences and received professional recognition. What was it like to take the project from its creation and festival journey to international distribution? What does this professional recognition mean to you?
Mariia: We initially created a shorter, thirty-five-minute version of the film and submitted it to a festival straight away. The film received the World Cinema Award at the Santa Fe Film Festival. It was an important affirmation that our story has the power to resonate and can be understood by an international audience.
However, we felt that the film was not yet complete and that the most important part of the story remained untold. We continued fundraising, reached out to sponsors and organizations, and explored opportunities to complete the feature-length version. An important source of support was the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), which helped us continue working on the film. Once the film was completed, we faced the question of distribution. We could have continued submitting it to festivals and collecting awards, but collecting accolades was never our primary goal. We wanted as many people as possible to see the truth about the war in Ukraine, the absurdity and injustice of this war, and the suffering of civilians who did nothing to deserve what Russian aggression has brought to our land.
The festival journey proved much more straightforward: through FilmFreeway, you can submit a film, pay the entry fee, and wait for a decision from the selection committee and jury. Distribution was far more challenging. We were in a new country and had no connections within American television or production companies. We had to build our entire professional network from scratch. It was a long journey from one introduction to the next, from one handshake to another.
Eventually, the film secured distribution. It was first released on the American platform Hoopla, followed by YouTube, where it has already accumulated around 40,000 views, primarily from the United States. Today, the film is also available on Fawesome, Xumo, and The Roku Channel, while its distribution across additional streaming and television platforms is ongoing. The process required an enormous amount of time and energy, but now we know how to navigate this path. We are ready to apply this experience to our future projects and, when needed, help other Ukrainian directors bring their films to the international market.
Creating your own production company means being ready to take responsibility for your creative vision. Today, My Mary Production works not only in documentary filmmaking, but also produces music videos, commercials, and other audiovisual content, while remaining a space for original, creator-driven stories. How did My Mary Production come into being, what is the company’s mission today, and what stories do you want to tell the world?
Anastasiia: The idea of creating our own production company emerged while we were working on Mariupol Survivors. From the very beginning, I was thinking not only about the creative aspects of the project, but also about its legal side, particularly copyright registration. After consulting with a lawyer, we were advised to register the film’s rights under a production company. That is how My Mary Production was born alongside our first documentary.
Today, it is a fully fledged production company focused primarily on documentary filmmaking. At the same time, we produce music videos, commercials, and other audiovisual content. We realized that we had the professional experience, a distinct creative vision, and a clear understanding of the stories we wanted to share with the world.
One of our most recent documentary projects, and one I am particularly proud of, is A Century of Strength: Inspiring Generations, commissioned by the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, an organization of Ukrainian women that celebrated its centennial in 2025. In the thirty-minute film, we explore the most important chapters of its history and show how, at critical moments for Ukraine — during the Holodomor, the Revolution of Dignity, and the full-scale invasion — these women raised funds, supported Ukrainians, and helped their country.
Another project that is particularly personal to me is Little Angel, a documentary about Daria Chaikovska, who founded the Ukrainian Art Center in Los Angeles in the late 1970s. At a time when very little was known about Ukraine in America and Ukrainian culture was often mistakenly identified as Russian, Ms. Daria consistently stood up for our identity. She organized cultural events, gave lectures, and taught students about the differences between Ukrainian and Russian culture.
The film also tells the story of her childhood and her family’s forced flight from Western Ukraine to escape Soviet repression. Ms. Daria was only five years old at the time, yet she still remembers that incredibly difficult journey vividly. That is precisely what draws me to documentary filmmaking: it allows us to preserve human stories, explore the past more deeply, and better understand ourselves, our roots, and our identity. This is also one of the core missions of My Mary Production: to find personal stories through which much larger historical and social processes can be revealed.
Your professional partnership is inseparable from your personal story. How did your experience as an LGBTQ+ couple living in Ukraine and Poland influence your decision to move to the United States? What changed after you got married in America?
Anastasiia and Mariia: Our decision to move was driven not only by professional opportunities, but also by our desire to live openly and safely. In Ukraine, our relationship had no legal recognition, and social attitudes often meant that we had to be cautious. After the full-scale invasion began, we moved to Poland, but even there, we did not feel that we could fully build a future together as a family.
In the United States, we were able to legally marry. This changed not only our legal status, but also our very experience of life. Here, we can call each other wives, live openly as a family, and have the rights that come naturally to other married couples. At the beginning of the war, we still considered returning to Ukraine, but after experiencing life in a country where our marriage is recognized and respected, we understand just how profound the difference is. That is why, for now, we do not plan to return to Ukraine for permanent residence, although Ukraine remains an integral part of our identity, our creative work, and our professional plans.
Today, each of you is pursuing major creative projects in your respective fields. What are you working on now?
Anastasiia: At the moment, My Mary Production is working on a documentary commissioned by an American producer. It explores the relationship between the African American and Korean American communities in the United States. Throughout the production process, we are discovering many little-known historical events and complex sociocultural connections between these two communities. For us, it is an opportunity to broaden our documentary perspective and work with stories that extend beyond Ukrainian subject matter, yet require the same degree of thoughtful and responsible storytelling.
In addition, I have written a screenplay for a short narrative film that we plan to submit to international film festivals. Ukrainian filmmakers will be involved in the project, and the lead role has already been cast with a young Ukrainian actor who lives in Los Angeles and is successfully beginning his professional career there. My Mary Production plans to move into production in the near future.
Mariia: Today, I am largely focused on AI-driven series production. I work with emerging technologies, develop production workflows, train teams, and help integrate artificial intelligence into contemporary filmmaking.
Artificial intelligence has already become an important part of contemporary filmmaking. Mariia, you work in AI-driven series production, develop new production workflows, and train teams. In your view, how are these technologies changing the role of the director and the creator, and what do they mean for the future of the film industry?
Mariia: I am convinced that the future of the film industry lies with AI, but for me, this is not a story about technology replacing people. On the contrary, its greatest value lies in its ability to take over a significant amount of technical, routine, and extremely time-consuming work, giving directors, writers, and artists more time for what brings us to filmmaking in the first place: ideas, dramaturgy, imagery, emotion, and the search for a new cinematic language.
I see particularly great potential in VFX. What once required large CGI teams, complex pipelines, months of work, and enormous budgets will gradually be possible to create faster, at a higher quality, and at a much lower cost with the help of AI. I believe Hollywood will move toward a hybrid model in which real actors, genuine directing, and human emotion are combined with AI tools for world-building, scene extension, visual effects, and parts of post-production. This approach is already taking shape, and over time, the line between traditional CGI and AI-driven production will become increasingly difficult to distinguish.
At the same time, AI is changing more than just the speed of production — it is democratizing access to the profession itself. There are countless talented people around the world who lack the right connections, substantial budgets, influential backgrounds, or the opportunity to enter the studio system. In the past, even a brilliant idea could remain in someone’s head or in a drawer simply because it was too expensive to bring it convincingly to the screen. Now, with AI, a person can create a concept, a scene, a teaser, or even an entire independent project and demonstrate not how many resources they have, but how they think and what they are capable of as a creator.
For me, that is the greatest strength of this new technological era: AI can open doors for people whom the industry previously failed even to notice. But the tool itself does not create meaning. It cannot replace taste, empathy, lived experience, or the responsibility of the creator. That is why the role of the director is not disappearing — it is becoming even more important. When the technical possibilities are almost limitless, it is the human being who must decide why this story needs to be told, what they want to say, and what feeling they want to leave with the audience.
In recent years, Ukrainian cinema has become increasingly confident in its integration into the global cultural landscape. What role do Ukrainian directors play in international cinema today? And how do you see My Mary Production contributing to this process in the future?
Anastasiia and Mariia: First and foremost, it is incredibly important that Ukrainian cinema has begun to develop much more actively. For many years, part of our industry was oriented toward the Russian-speaking market or closely intertwined with the Russian cultural sphere. This hindered the development of an independent Ukrainian cinematic voice. Today, Ukraine is increasingly decisively breaking away from that influence, and our film industry is finally gaining the opportunity to define for itself who we are and which stories we want to tell the world.
Of course, Ukrainian cinema is criticized: some people dislike certain films, while others point to professional shortcomings or uneven quality. But this is a natural part of the development of any young and independent industry. Craft is built through practice. If films are not made for fear of making mistakes, the quality of the industry will never improve.
We are learning and working in the United States alongside professionals from the Hollywood industry, gaining international experience and studying contemporary production standards. At the same time, we remain deeply connected to our Ukrainian roots. Looking ahead, we want to work in Ukraine as well, applying the knowledge we have gained and contributing to the development of Ukrainian cinema.
Even when creating projects in the United States, we try to involve Ukrainian actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, makeup artists, designers, and other specialists. We see My Mary Production’s role as building professional and cultural bridges between Ukraine and the international film industry. It is important for us not simply to be present in this process, but to initiate collaborations, support Ukrainian talent, and help Ukrainian stories find their audiences around the world.
If you had to describe your professional mission today in a single message to an international audience, what would you want to say? What do you see as your creative goals and international projects in the years ahead?
Anastasiia and Mariia: Our professional mission is to build a cultural and creative bridge between Ukraine and the international film industry.
Working in the United States gives us an incredibly valuable experience. Hollywood has historically remained one of the world’s major centers of cinema, so being here allows us to study contemporary production processes, work alongside accomplished professionals, and gain a deeper understanding of how the international film industry operates.
Ukrainian cinema developed at a considerably slower pace for many years, but today it is making significant strides to catch up on lost opportunities. We want to be part of that development: creating international collaborations, exchanging expertise, and connecting Ukrainian talent with American professional networks and production opportunities.
In the coming years, we plan to develop individual projects in Ukraine. We would also like to help young Ukrainian directors and filmmakers come to Los Angeles for professional workshops, hands-on programs, and specialized courses. We can already advise them on where to gain practical experience and which educational opportunities are worth considering. It is important to us that these professionals eventually bring the knowledge they acquire back to Ukraine and use it to strengthen Ukrainian cinema.
Another goal is to represent My Mary Production’s work more actively on the international festival circuit. During our first years, we deliberately focused primarily on telling the world the truth about the war in Ukraine. For us, making the film accessible to as wide an audience as possible was more important than focusing exclusively on our own professional advancement.
Now that Mariupol Survivors has secured international distribution and continues to reach new audiences, the time has come to develop the company’s own professional presence as well. Festival selections and awards are not merely forms of recognition; they are also an important instrument of trust within the international film industry. They help build a reputation, open opportunities for new partnerships, and make it possible to undertake larger-scale projects.
Our next goal, therefore, is to promote Ukrainian stories, support emerging filmmakers, create international collaborations, and strengthen My Mary Production’s position as a company capable of speaking to the world through cinema with professionalism and responsibility.
And, if we allow ourselves a little healthy professional ambition, we have one more deeply personal goal: not simply to work alongside the heart of the global film industry, but to help shape its future, both as a business and as a creative space. We want to develop new production models, ambitious international projects, and stories that leave a lasting mark. Perhaps that sounds a little bold, but we genuinely want to become part of the history of world cinema. After all, big ambitions have one useful quality: even on the way toward achieving them, you can accomplish a great deal that matters.
