EN / UA
A DOCUMENTARY BY EDUARD AKSELRUD
MONOLITH
POWER AND LIGHT IN UKRAINE
about the project
MONOLITH is a feature length creative documentary project about the energy grid in Ukraine and the heroic efforts of Ukrainian energy professionals to keep it alive and plan for the future as it undergoes brutal wartime destruction.
Since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia has undertaken an under reported campaign of systematic destruction of Ukraine’s energy grid in a cruel attempt to make the country uninhabitable and break the Ukrainian people’s resolve. Despite this, Ukrainians continue to resist and fight against this brutality. Ukraine’s electricians, businesses, and everyday citizens are demonstrating remarkable resilience and innovation, adapting to this harsh reality. Meanwhile, the country’s energy sector is planning ahead for a post-war future, presenting unique opportunities to develop a more efficient, decentralized, and sustainable system.
How does a society adapt to an energy siege? What does it take to war-proof an economy? As many confront growing global threats, Ukraine stands as a definitive example of what it takes to keep a nation running and powered under such extreme conditions. One of the film’s key goals will be to reach influential decision makers, investors, and public officials to inform and inspire those who operate on an institutional level of business and international development. This will enhance public understanding of Ukraine’s energy sector, the reality of adapting under siege, and the country’s future potential on the world stage as a pioneer in energy independence and resilience.
story and characters
In MONOLITH, the energy system is the main character. By following the stories of several key Ukrainian professionals working in various parts of the energy sector and providing broader context through interviews with experts, the film illustrates its scale, history, and intimate interconnection with the nation. It reveals the reality of life under siege by an unrelenting adversary, as Ukrainians all across the country adapt to extensive blackouts, harsh winter conditions, and the burden of enduring yet another year of uncertainty and destruction.
For security reasons, we cannot list character biographies at this time. If you are a film industry professional interested in working with us, or an energy professional interested in participating in the film, please reach out to us for more information.
artistic intention
The central artistic thesis of the film is to portray the electric grid as a living, breathing organism that is intimately connected to all human life as it literally brings light into our lives and powers our civilization. These facilities are not simply infrastructure, but monolithic machine beings who exist around us, fulfilling their silent but critical purpose, and connected by a nervous system of transmission lines and substations. Ukrainian electricians, engineers, and other industry professionals are the custodians and caretakers of these structures, who often risk and sometimes even sacrifice their lives to heal them and return the power of light to Ukraine in the face of the targeted campaign to destroy this vast organism.
cinematic approach
Under the cinematic supervision of Tanya Dudnik, the film will be visually designed to express the colossal scale of this system and the structures that power it. Similarly, it will also explore the relationship between light and darkness as a powerful visual motif and a greater metaphor for the war. The film will be a slow burn, building tension and atmosphere with contemplative musical and character sequences. Cities and key locations will be personified as characters that live and breathe themselves, each with their own voice and story. The human heroes we follow will each have an intimate connection to the energy system, as all Ukrainians do, and their stories of resilience, sacrifice, and dedication will drive the narrative.
music and sound
These images will be supported by an original score combining emotive neo-classical themes (Katharine Petkovski) and deep, haunting electronic soundscapes (Patrick Haggart). Utilizing a Ukrainian-made synthesizer, the score will be designed to give voice to the massive facilities that power the nation and evoke a sense of awe and wonder at their might, with traditional Ukrainian polyphonic vocals incorporated throughout (Murmurosi) to emphasize Ukraine’s ancient cultural origins. This sonic dimension will be a crucial element of the experience and be intimately incorporated into every scene and image on screen.
partners and endorsements
We are proud to be endorsed by numerous business and civil organizations across Ukraine and Europe. These organizations have made themselves available to assist in the search and selection of characters for the film, facilitate access to locations and activities for shooting, provide expert advice and on-camera interviews, and provide references and connections to others relevant parties in the industry.
This list will be updated as new partnerships are established and confirmed.
about the filmmaker
EDUARD AKSELRUD
DIRECTOR & EDITOR
EDUARD AKSELRUD is an award-winning Ukrainian-American-Canadian documentary filmmaker and editor. His career has been distinguished by his unique capacity to absorb and distill large and complex topics into cohesive, engaging, and inspiring films. With an emotive, musically oriented editorial style, his surprising approach is informed by his background as a trailer editor in the TV industry. Working with networks such as HBO, Amazon, FX, and many others, he honed an exceptional ability to capture and hold a viewer’s attention before transitioning to documentary work. Akselrud intends to use his skills and experience to contribute to the public perception of Ukraine’s fight and potential, and inspire public officials and industry professionals to get involved in its future.
production team
The MONOLITH team is composed of talented and passionate individuals dedicated to bringing this story to life. Our Ukraine unit includes veterans of the Ukrainian film and commercial industry with extensive experience in wartime documentary production. The film will be dedicated to our former producer Mykola Ponych, and composer Patrick Haggart, who both tragically passed away after difficult battles with cancer.
Mykola Ponych
Alyona Zhylun
UKRAINE UNIT DIRECTOR
INSTAGRAM
Tanya Dudnik
Viktor Schaslyvyi
SOUND RECORDIST
INSTAGRAM
Anna Semenova
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
INSTAGRAM
Amanda Bailly
Vlas Pylypenko
ASSISTANT EDITOR
INSTAGRAM
Ivanka-Kate Yakovyna
Kristina Lizogub
Patrick Haggart
Katharine Petkovski
Mateo Murphy
Marie-Soleil Trudel
POST SUPERVISOR
LINKEDIN
get in touch
Thank you for reading about our project. If this page was shared with you but you do not have direct contact with our team, please reach out to us at the email address below. We look forward to hearing from you.
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