The contemporary film adaptation of Valerian Pidmohylny’s ‘The City’ was shot in Kyiv over the course of 20 days, with filming taking place at electronic music festivals and at the Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Studio. The film was written and directed by Stanislav Bytiutskyi, a winner of the KISFF and Kinokolo film festivals, for whom ‘The City’ marks his feature-length directorial debut
The final day of filming took place at Closer. DTF Magazine is sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the set, provided by the film’s production team
About the adaptation’s plot
The events of ‘The City’ unfold a hundred years after the period depicted in the novel, in present-day Kyiv during the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Stepan Radchenko is a 24-year-old man who arrives in the city after surviving captivity in southern Ukraine. In Kyiv, he undergoes a transformation from a disoriented newcomer to a successful urbanite.
‘Driven by a desire for belonging, he aims to put his past behind him. Gradually, he constructs a new version of himself — stylish, composed, and recognized on the city’s electronic music scene. But can he face his pain and slay his internal demons?’, the synopsis reads.
Cast and crew of ‘The City’
The role of Stepan Radchenko is played by Maksym Riahin, a young actor from Kyiv Academic Drama and Comedy Theatre on the Left Bank of the Dnipro (‘Love and Flames’). Mariia Kovaliova (‘The Trojan Women’) from the Ivan Franko Theatre takes on the role of Zosia, with Yana Kolodiichuk of Lviv’s Lesia Ukrainka Theatre playing Nadiika, and Anastasiia Malakhova as Ryta.
The cast also features Akmal Hurezov (‘Lessons of Tolerance’), Yevheniia Nepytaliuk (‘Butterfly Vision’), and Maksim Panchenko (‘Lucky Girl’).
According to Riahin, while preparing for the role, he and Bytiutskyi attended electronic music parties, with Closer being the first venue they visited.
The film’s producing team includes Dmytro Sukhanov (‘My Thoughts Are Silent’) and Valeriia Sochyvets (‘La Palisiada’, ‘Blindfold’). Volodymyr Usyk (‘La Palisiada’) serves as director of photography, with Maksym Nimenko (‘Stop-Zemlia’, ‘Coffee with Cardamom’) as production designer.
Stanislav Bytiutskyi’s ‘The City’ is scheduled for release in 2027.
