THE BLUE ABOVE AND THE GOLD WITHIN
SYNOPSIS
During the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Valeria Gavrylyuk a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl, arrives in Italy as a refugee with her mother and younger brother. She starts attending a school in Milan and quickly makes friends with her classmates, who help her with her homework. The only person she misses dearly is her father, a skilled hockey player. He had decided to stay in Ukraine, but not as a combatant. In Milan, Valeria begins taking rhythmic gymnastics classes with Anca Goia, a Romanian Olympic champion. A beautiful friendship develops between teacher and pupil. In Italy, Valeria starts winning gold medals and dreams of becoming a successful professional athlete.
Producer: Michelangelo Pastore
Director: Pepi Romagnoli
Country: Italy
Expected running: 90’/ 52′
Screenplay: Pepi Romagnoli
Editing: Edoardo Maimone
Cinematography: Giuseppe Campo
Estimated budget: 94.500 €
Financing in place: 69.600 €
Gap financing: 24.900 €
Looking for: Pre-purchase, Acquisition, Distribution, Sales Agents
Start of shooting: May 2024
End of shooting: December 2024
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Blue and gold are the colors of the Ukrainian flag, but they also represent Valeria’s aspirations. We follow her thoughts through her voice, as she tells us about her family, school, and her deep passion for rhythmic gymnastics. We discover that she has extraordinary determination, but that she is also a loving child who enjoys skipping rope and chatting with friends. Valeria is an example of how one can face a terrible life change like war.
PRODUCTION NOTES
We are finishing filming in Ukraine, where our Ukrainian co-producer, Maxim Asadchyi, is lensing some scenes with Vitalij, Valeria’s father, who has been unable to visit his family due to a travel ban from Ukraine. Simultaneously in Italy, we are working on a rough cut aimed at looking for sales agents and pre-selling the creative documentary.
DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY
She debuts with the film drama “COURTYARD WINDOWS” and directs the TV series “VIVERE” and “CENTO VETRINE” She creates Michelangelo film to realize creative documentaries such as: POINTS OF VIEW, 2023- THE SAME AS YESTERDAY, 2021 – SWISS COMMUNIST PARTY, 2019 – A GLORIOUS DELEGATION TO PYONGYANG, 2018.
PRODUCTION Michelangelo Film | PRODUCER Michelangelo Pastore | CONTACTS info@michelangelofilm.it , +39 335 6646805
Michelangelo Film is an Italian production company that produces creative documentaries, often developed through international co-productions. Michelangelo Pastore is the sole administrator of the company, which he manages together with director Pepi Romagnoli.