A young ballroom dancer, who was just seven years old when he suffered injuries from a bomb explosion in his home country of Ukraine, has become the focus of a London film that has earned critical acclaim.
“Romchyk” tells the harrowing true story of Roman Oleksiv, who sustained severe burns in a Russian missile attack in July 2022, an incident that also claimed his mother’s life.
The film, created by students from Goldsmiths, University of London, was shot in and around their New Cross campus.
It was presented to the Pope during a global summit at the Vatican dedicated to safeguarding children affected by war.
The project was initiated by Kostiantyn Bidnenko, who suggested to his fellow MA students at Goldsmiths that they create a short film about Roman’s journey.
The narrative follows the boy’s path to recovery and his aspirations of becoming a professional dancer.
“I came across a news story about Roman and felt deeply moved,” Mr. Bidnenko remarked. “To me, he embodies the plight of all children caught in the turmoil of war.”
Lara Kozah, another member of the student production team, recounted the challenges they faced in convincingly portraying Ukraine in their film. “We utilized a local park for outdoor shots and transformed a classroom into a hospital setting. We even constructed a bedroom in a studio from scratch.”
A nearby Ukrainian community assisted them in casting actors for the project.
In early February, they had the opportunity to present the film to the Pope during the Vatican’s International Summit on Children’s Rights. Ms. Kozah described the experience as “surreal” and a tremendous honor. “His engagement with the film was sincere,” she added. “We aim to share this story globally to highlight the true impact of war on children.”
“Romchyk” received accolades at the Cambria Film Festival in California and is being submitted to various international short film festivals.
Mr. Bidnenko shared, “The greatest recognition for me is that Roman and his father appreciated the film and the sensitive manner in which we depicted his story.”
Reporting by Clifford Thompson contributed to this article.
