PREMIERE A Poem for Little People + DISCUSSION with Ivan Sautkin about forms of civil society resistance

The national premiere of the film “Poema mažiems žmonėms” (dir. Ivan Sautkin) will take place during the “Inconvenient Films” festival.

Anton leads a volunteer team risking their lives on the eastern front of Ukraine, trying to evacuate the remaining residents who still refuse to leave. Meanwhile, two elderly women choose their own forms of resistance and decide to stay on the front lines. Zinaida stands by the window, documenting every movement of the Russian forces and sending the information to the Ukrainian army. Taysiyya writes poems which she uses to manipulate the occupying soldiers. These two parallel stories come together in a poignant cinematic poem about hope and memory. It is a reminder that even the smallest actions can contribute to great change.

In the discussion following the film, we will talk about resistance as a multifaceted phenomenon: from armed struggle and intelligence to creativity, everyday assistance, and community spirit. These are ways to preserve dignity, strength, and responsibility in civil society even in the face of war.

The premiere in Vilnius will take place on October 17th at the Muzeoteka as part of the Weekend for Ukraine program of events.
The premiere in Kaunas will take place on October 18th at the Romuva cinema center (more information can be found here). We also invite you to a free screening at the Lithuanian Government on October 23rd (registration is required, more information can be found here).

Ivan Sautkin is a Ukrainian film director and member of the Ukrainian Directors’ Guild. After graduating from the Taras Shevchenko State Art School and the I. K. Karpenko-Kary National Institute of Theatre, Cinema and Television in Kyiv, he continued his studies at the Utrecht State Art Academy in the Netherlands. His directing career began in 1998 with the documentary film White Ship. Later, I. Sautkin worked on numerous documentaries such as Stronger Than Arms, #Babylon’13, Petlya Nesterova, and Art In The Land of War, which received prestigious awards at international film festivals.

In addition to his work, Sautkin is also active as an artist and art curator. In 2012, he founded an art residency in the village of Zhovid. During its existence, the residence has implemented many different projects: art plein-airs and residencies, art exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, theater performances and educational programs. Many artists from different countries visited the residence. Due to the war, the institution is in a state of conservation. The director also has extensive experience in advertising, having directed more than 200 Ukrainian and international advertising projects during his career.

Since 2016, Ivan Sautkin has been teaching courses at the Kyiv Academy of Media Arts on directing advertising video clips, working with actors, and the basics of film directing.