Oleg Sentsov's Rhino and Maxim Nakonechny's Savior were the first in the history of Ukrainian cinema to be supported by the European EURIMAGES Foundation. The total amount of support is 395 thousand euros.
At its 160th meeting, which took place online from 12 to 16 October, the EURIMAGES Board of Directors announced support for the production of 18 feature films and 11 documentaries totaling almost € 5.7 million. The list of films to be funded includes two works by Ukrainian directors - the films "Savior" by Maxim Nakonechny and "Rhino" by Oleg Sentsov. Spas will receive funding in the amount of 125 thousand euros, "Rhinoceros" - 270 thousand euros.
"Spas" is a full-length debut of Maxim Nakonechny. The script of the film was written by the director together with the director and writer Iryna Tsilyk. The plot of the picture tells about a spy who returns from captivity and learns that she is pregnant from a prison guard-rapist. The woman almost dares to have an abortion, but at the last moment begins to doubt.
Work on the crime drama "Rhino" began in 2013, when the film received funding from the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema, but due to the illegal imprisonment of director Oleg Sentsov in a Russian prison, filming was temporarily suspended and resumed only in autumn 2020 in Kryvyi Rih. In the center of the plot is a former bandit who remembers the events of his life.
On December 19, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada approved the Law of Ukraine "On Ukraine's accession to the European Fund for Support of Joint Production and Distribution of Artistic Cinematographic and Audiovisual Works EURIMAGES". "Evrimage" was launched in 1988 at the Council of Europe. The fund includes 40 member countries, assists filmmakers in co-production, supports the distribution and screening of films.
According to media reports.
