DOCU/BEST

My Father Is My Mother’s Brother

Year
2018
Country
Ukraine
Duration
76’
Director
Vadym Ilkov

In this touching family narrative, a bohemian singer/artist becomes a father to his five-year-old niece when his sister's mental health deteriorates, and finds himself awkwardly balancing fairy tales and playtime with his rowdy nightlife and provocative art.

CREW:
Director: Vadym Ilkov
Producer: Valentyn Vasianovych, Iya Myslytska, Maksym Vasyanovych
Cinematographer: Vadym Ilkov
Editor: Vadym Ilkov
Sound: Boris Peter, Andriy Rohachov
Production
Garmata Film Studio, Valentyn Vasyanovych, [email protected]
Sales:
Feelsales, [email protected]; Darya Bassel, [email protected] (festival distribution only)
Awards
2018 – Visions du Réel, Prix du Jury Régionyon, Most innovative feature film of the International Competition; Camden IFF, Cinematic Vision Award; Hot Docs, official selection
Director
Vadym Ilkov

Vadym Ilkov graduated from Kyiv National Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University in 2000. In 2010 Vadym was the recipient of scholarship Gaude Polonia (Poland), a cinematography scholarship. He has worked as a director of photography on a number of fiction, documentary and animated films. His recent projects as a DoP include Mariupolis, dir. Mantas Kvedaravičius (world premiere at Berlinale 2016) and Volcano, dir. Roman Bondarchuk (world premiere at Karlovy Vary IFF 2018). Vadym is one of the organisers of the first Ukrainian open-air festival Sheshory (later called ArtPole). It existed for 12 years and combined diverse fields of art. It significantly changed the Ukrainian cultural landscape. His directorial debut is Waltz Alchevsk. My Father Is My Mother’s Brother is Vadym Ilkov’s first feature doc.

Selected Filmography

Waltz Alchevsk (2014), My Father Is My Mother’s Brother (2018)

Blue Hall
Kyiv Cinema
vul. Velyka Vasylkivska, 19
Q&A with filmmaker
Original language with English subtitles
Main Hall
Leipzig Cinema
Lesya Kurbasa Avenue, 8
Original language with English subtitles
Hall «KINOMAN»
Zhovten cinema
Kostiantynivska St, 26
Q&A. Screening with an audio descriprion
Original language with English subtitles
Main Hall
Lira Cinema
vul. Velyka Zhytomyrska, 40
Original language with English subtitles
Main Hall
Dnipro Cinema
Yuriya Gagarina Avenue, 7
Original language with English subtitles
Hall «LEFT»
Boomer Cinema
vul. Lavruhina, 4
Original language with English subtitles
22 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 6 — 13 
June 2025
Bridges of Time / Laika tilti
DOCU/BEST
Bridges of Time / Laika tilti
Year
2018
Country
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
Directors
Audrius Stonys, Kristīne Briede
Duration
78’
DOCU/BEST
Home Games
DOCU/BEST
Home Games
Year
2018
Country
Ukraine, France, Poland
Director
Alisa Kovalenko
Duration
86’
DOCU/BEST
Island of the Hungry Ghosts
DOCU/BEST
Island of the Hungry Ghosts
Year
2018
Country
Germany, UK, Australia
Director
Gabrielle Brady
Duration
98’
DOCU/BEST
Minding the Gap
DOCU/BEST
Minding the Gap
Year
2018
Country
USA
Director
Bing Liu
Duration
98’
DOCU/BEST
Still Recording / Lissa Ammetsajjel
DOCU/BEST
Still Recording / Lissa Ammetsajjel
Year
2018
Country
Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany
Directors
Ghiath Ayoub, Saeed Al Batal
Duration
116’
DOCU/BEST