A drama about a Ukrainian gymnast is headed stateside. Kino Lorber landed all North American distribution rights to “Olga,” which sees Ukrainian National Team gymnast Anastasiia Budiashkina making her film debut. Set to bow in theaters June 24, 10 percent of the film’s proceeds will be donated to Direct Relief in Ukraine, where thousands have been killed and injured and millions have been displaced amidst Russia’s invasion.
A press release announced the acquisition.
“Olga” made its word premiere at the 2021 Cannes Critics’ Week and tells the story of a “talented teenage Ukrainian gymnast exiled in Switzerland, dreaming of Olympic gold and trying to fit in with her new team in her new home. As she prepares for the European Championships, the Ukrainian people back home in Kyiv rise up in what has become known as the Maidan Revolution, suddenly involving everyone she cares about. Olga is left a powerless, distant bystander as her mother, an investigative journalist, faces danger as she challenges the brutal Yanukovich regime. Incorporating documentary footage from the 2013 uprising, ‘Olga’ is a tense, sensitively handled tale of exile reflecting the clash between the personal and the political in a young woman’s search for identity,” the film’s synopsis details.
Kino Lorber SVP Wendy Lidell commented, “’Olga’ tells a powerful story of resilience and identity. It is a stirring portrayal of a young Ukrainian woman in exile from her family, friends, and homeland, and one that has sadly now taken on worldwide relevance. By centering the story on a teenage athlete with dreams of the future, ‘Olga’ offers a glimmer of hope for the next generation, even in adversity, and announces the arrival of an incredible young talent in the film debut of gymnast Anastasiia Budiashkina.”
“In making a film about exile, with a heroine torn between several loyalties and faced with a geopolitical situation bigger than her, I wanted to film the passion of a teenager, and confront her personal issues with collective ones,” the film’s director, Elie Grappe, added. “I hope that ‘Olga’ can bring some context to what is going on today, promote empathy with all Ukrainians who are now outside of their home, and encourage the American audience to support Ukraine with concrete actions.”
