The team of Maid-in-Law, a romantic fantasy feature (produced by FILM.UA Production with the support of Ukrainian Ministry of Culture), presents a new trailer. In this video material the audience meets the film’s actors.
This trailer gradually reveals the protagonist, maid Stefaniya Chornenko, expands the idea of the world and ambience of Maid-in-Law and also lifts the curtain over other characters of this film project, among the biggest ones since Independence, to be released in cinemas on January 16, 2020.
Felix Austria, a novel by Sofia Andrukhovych Maid-in-Law is based on, first of all impressed its readers with the depth of character portrayal and also pleasantly surprised them with the diversity of described traits and images. The essential criterion for the casting was the ability of actors to credibly portray their characters and to do it in a sensual way, conveying their feelings and motivations emotionally. As a result we ended up with a very diverse cast of varying types and ages, from different acting communities, schools and even countries, says film producer Nadia Zayonchkovska sharing her memories about the selection of actors. It is worth noting that the authors stressed on making the cast international as the events of Maid-in-Law take place in Stanislaviv (currently Ivano-Frankivsk) on the brink of the 19th and 20th centuries, and during this period it had different nationalities, cultures and outlooks in. Four roles of rather important characters have been given to the actors with foreign roots. Other characters were played by Ukrainian actors - debutants in features, actors with theatre experience and well-known, respected and even award-winning actors.
The venue of film events, Ivano-Frankivsk, is represented by three actors. First of all this is Roman Lutsky, well-known for his participation in Ukrainian box office hits (The Stronghold, Sex and Nothing Personal), selected for the lead male role in the film – Ukrainian sculptor Petro Skolyk, husband of noble Adelya. The capital of Transcarpathia region in Maid-in-Law is also represented by one of best known Ukrainian actresses, recipient of Dzyga 2018 for the best female role in The Gate Irma Vitovska. An iconic writer and poet Yuriy Andrukhovych, father of Felix Austria author Sofia Andrukhovych, also obtained a role in the film.
The movie has an impressive male cast. German doctor Anger is played by film and TV celebrity Oleksandr Kobzar (The Guide, Crazy Wedding, Pulse). The Greek Catholic priest Yosyp was portrayed on the screen by a young theatre and film actor from Kyiv Sergiy Volosovets (Love in Chains), and the role of Polish police officer Voytsekh was given to Yevhen Yanovych who played a lead role in Infoholic (2016) and works as a standup comic, participating in Mamakhokhotala studio. There are also international actors: Georgian actor and model Vazha Goderdzishvili got the role of handsome Jewish guy Velvel, the mysterious illusionist Ernest Torn is played by Polish actor Sebastian Cybulsky, and Felix, a boy whose name lent the title to the novel, is an eight-year-old Ukrainian of Palestinian origin Yasin Faradzhallakh.
The film authors employed no less interesting and diverse approach to female personalities. Just a reminder: the protagonist of romantic film story, a Ukrainian maid-in-law Stefa was played by Polish actress Marianna Januszewicz (Dywizjon 303, Il traduttore, Miasto 44). The role of mistress Adelya Anger, half-Polish and half-German, was portrayed by the graduate of first Ukrainian Film School Alesya Romanova (School). The challenging acting task of adding comic features to a dramatic character Ivanka was taken up by Ukrainian theatre and film actress Maryna Koshkina (Slovo House, The Rising Hawk), also known for TV projects (The Sniffer 3). A charismatic Jewish lady Baumel was incredibly realistically portrayed by a participant of Postplay, a well-known underground theatre, Viktoria Tavrika. Fish vendor and Velvel’s mother in the film was played by people’s artist of Ukraine, lead actress of Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after M. Kulish Olena Gall-Savalska. A complicated choreographic number with a serious dramatic task was performed by people’s artist of Ukraine and prima of Ukrainian National Opera Kateryna Kukhar. One more famous actress, recipient of Dzyga for best female role (The Turtledove’s Nest, 2017) Natalya Vasko portrayed a noble lady in the theatre. The real legend of our cinema, famous Ukrainian actress Ada Rogovtseva who was first pictured on film in 1956, played a princess at Adelya’s birthday.
This wonderful kaleidoscope of diverse characters, traits, images and relationships will be presented to the Ukrainian audience on big screens in less than three months. The start of theatrical release for the mysterious love story Maid-in-Law will take place on January 16, 2020. Volha Ukraine is responsible for national distribution.
The producer of Maid-in-Law, a full-length feature, is FILM.UA Production, with the support provided by Ukrainian Government and Ministry of Culture. The filming was completed in June, and the film is presently in post-production stage.
You can follow the project news on its pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Synopsis: The story starts in Stanislaviv (currently Ivano-Frankivsk) in the second half of the 19th century. Doctor Anger loses his wife in the fire but manages to rescue two girls: his own daughter Adelya and the daughter of housekeepers Stefania. In a moment of despair, the doctor decides to bring them up together.
25 years pass. The girls have grown up and are still inseparable though Adelya is now married. As for Stefa, she tends to the house and drowns her passion in cooking. But they still don’t understand who they are to each other: sisters and friends or a maid and a mistress. In the kaleidoscope of love and jealousy, double-entendres and secrets the boundary between reality and fiction disappears altogether. Elegant outfits, sophisticated dishes and endless promenades… What will happen when the illusion will start dispelling and reality will come into the foreground instead?
Project producer: Nadia Zayonchkovska
Screenwriters: Alina Semeryakova in collaboration with Sofia Andrukhovych
Director: Khrystyna Syvolap
DOP: Oleksiy Lamakh
Art director: Oleksandr Batenev
Costume designer: Lesya Patoka
Makeup artist: Maria Kolomiyets
Casting director: Alla Samoylenko
Cast: Marianna Januszewicz, Alesya Romanova, Roman Lutsky, Oleksandr Kobzar, Sergiy Volosovets, Ada Rogovtseva, Kateryna Kukhar, Yevhen Yanovych, Natalya Vasko, Irma Vitovska, Vazha Goderdzishvili, Sebastian Cybulsky, Yasin Faradzhallakh, Maryna Koshkina.
Produced by: FILM.UA Production with the support of Ukrainian Government and Ministry of Culture
CGI/VFX: POSTMODERN Digital
Distributor: Volha Ukraine
Premiere: January 16, 2020
