The new series named “Carlos in Ukraine”, directed by Nikita Torzhevskyy and commissioned by the Suspilne Broadcasting will be released in Ukraine in November this year.
Nikita Torzhevskyy, who is also the project’s producer, explains further details of the show: “Mockumentary is a genre that allows us to talk about the pain or things that hurt us in a simpler way. It is an opportunity to access the world of our characters and live their lives a little, to recognise ourselves, to smile and feel that we are not alone. Carlos Smith and his perspective allow us to look at ourselves from a different angle, to see the light that many of us are unable to feel anymore, the light that has been overshadowed by the Russian war. I hope that our series along with its fantastic cast and an excellent team will bring a small part of this light to every viewer’s home”.
In the 12 episodes of this mockumentary the storyline revolves around an ambitious American journalist, Carlos, portrayed by the Ukrainian actor Carlos Soares. He travels to Ukraine to make a documentary about the life during a full-scale war. Carlos aims to show the most important issues faced by Ukrainians on a daily basis to his American viewers: shellings and air raids, power outages, economic crisis, lives of internally displaced people and work of the volunteers. Ordinary Ukrainian people are the journalist’s key characters. Amazed and astonished he is about to discover how diverse Ukrainians are – sincere, energetic, and inventive. Not only do they not give up, but they become stronger, all while maintaining their optimism and a great sense of humor.
Lukyan Halkin, executive producer of the Suspilne Broadcasting, explains why this series is going to be of a great interest to everyone: “Entertainment content is both important and risky nowadays. On one hand, it is a somewhat well-worn, but nonetheless a true mantra about promoting psychological well-being that can be expressed through projects like this. On the other hand, there are a number of honest questions and without answering those the production makes little sense. For example, is this particular life-like humor really not detached from the realities of the Russian invasion? Or does the project create a false impression that the war is about to end, and everything is just the jokes about burying the invaders or sinking the enemy’s missile cruiser? Proper understanding of the adequate boundaries is particularly important here. Belittling perseverance, determination and sacrifices made by those who defend the country is certainly not going to improve one’s psychological well-being nor create a responsible society. Of course in the current circumstances production of entertainment projects is hardly a priority. Nonetheless, “Carlos in Ukraine” has the real potential to provide a well-thought of and conscious psychological relief (as opposed to simply indulging in escapism), particularly due to the authors’ openness to an ongoing dialogue regarding their humor, as well as the fact that the mockumentary format allows to balance the story between subtlety, insight and humor”.
The creators of “Carlos in Ukraine” believe that it will be a witty, yet dramatic series, the show that they hope will become truly relatable to the viewers. Ukrainian viewers will likely recognise themselves or the people they know and will get a chance to see their life from a slightly different angle.
