Interviews

DOCU/UKRAINE in Focus: Andrii Lysetskyi

23 March 2021

We are looking closer at each of the films in the national DOCU/UKRAINE competition. Today we focus on Ivan’s Land by Andrii Lystetskyi. Aliona Penziy asked Andriy about the philosophy of the film’s protagonist, the folk artist Ivan Prykhodko, about the shooting process and his director debut in documentary filmmaking.

What motivated you to start making your film?

A lucky chance! I was scouting for locations a few kilometers away from the Boryspil Airport runway, and I saw a strange yard, a house which seemed like it hadn’t changed since the 19th century. With planes occasionally lifting off in the background.

 

To what extent do you relate to the worldview of your protagonist?

 

I guess all the members of the film crew asked themselves this. In just a few hours of talking, Mr. Ivan strikes you with his philosophy and approach to everyday life. He is an incredibly free and happy person. This, of course, is fascinating.


Mr. Ivan lives in harmony with nature, and thanks to his art he is also in harmony with himself. Land gives him everything he needs. He doesn’t depend on the social world. So sometimes, as we were leaving the filming location, someone in the crew uttered, “Screw the bustle of life! Maybe I should start living like Mr. Ivan!?”

 

How did it feel to work with a documentary film as a director for the first time?

 

It’s an interesting experience! But I had to write a lot of texts, even though I’m more inclined to draw. This created some inconvenience. In documentary filmmaking, the director is not just a creative unit, but also an administrative-technical one. You need to write heaps of papers: the calendar plan, literary and extended director’s scripts, etc. Before each day of shooting, I drafted a short plan and discussed with the crew what I wanted to film and in what way.

But still, filming for me is always an incredible journey, even if I don’t need to actually travel anywhere. Because the most important thing about a journey are friends with whom you overcome obstacles. With a good crew, you can dare to make courageous experiments.

 

How has your experience as a cinematographer affect your language as a director?

 

As a director, I have much more workload and responsibility. To put it very simply, the director is about “what to do,” and the cinematographer is about “how to do it.” It was important not to lose the balance between content and form. In any case, a film is a collective artwork, a synergy between all the participants of the process.

 

Is there a difference for you in working with fiction and non-fiction films? And if there is, what is it exactly?

 

These genres use different technical and creative means of expression. But I think that the structure of an image is based on the same grounds. In feature and documentary film, you as an author determine where to put the camera and when to press ‘record.’ The rest is details. But in art, details are the most important thing.

22 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 6 — 13 
June 2025
20 Days in Mariupol and Porcelain War for American Audiences: The Exp…
DOCU/PRO
25 April 2025
20 Days in Mariupol and Porcelain War for American Audiences: The Experience of the Razom Cinema Program and Opportunities for Ukrainian Documentary Filmmakers
DOCU/PRO
25 April 2025
Award for a participant of RAW DOC from Rough Cut Service!
DOCU/PRO
24 April 2025
Award for a participant of RAW DOC from Rough Cut Service!
DOCU/PRO
24 April 2025
Introducing the experts of RAW DOC 2025
DOCU/PRO
21 April 2025
Introducing the experts of RAW DOC 2025
DOCU/PRO
21 April 2025
Documentary Cinema in Cinemas and on Streaming Platforms: The Theory …
DOCU/PRO
19 April 2025
Documentary Cinema in Cinemas and on Streaming Platforms: The Theory and Practice of Film Distribution
DOCU/PRO
19 April 2025
Suspline Movlennia: Work Principles and Opportunities for Filmmakers
DOCU/PRO
11 April 2025
Suspline Movlennia: Work Principles and Opportunities for Filmmakers
DOCU/PRO
11 April 2025
Meet the Docudays UA-2025 Student Jury!
News
11 April 2025
Meet the Docudays UA-2025 Student Jury!
News
11 April 2025
Meet the jury of DOCU/UKRAINE and DOCU/SHORT of the 22nd Docudays UA
News
09 April 2025
Meet the jury of DOCU/UKRAINE and DOCU/SHORT of the 22nd Docudays UA
News
09 April 2025
Call for volunteers for Docudays UA-2025
News
08 April 2025
Call for volunteers for Docudays UA-2025
News
08 April 2025