A new creative documentary exploring how young Ukrainians navigate war through music, nightlife and community was presented to industry professionals at the Agora Docs in Progress sidebar of this year’s Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.
Titled Immortal Flowers, the project is directed by Ukrainian-American filmmaker Brian Logvinsky and produced by Anna Konik for Catharsis Pictures and Horizon Joffe Pictures, with Eugene Rachkovsky on board as co-producer through Tabor Production. The United States–Ukraine co-production is currently in post-production and seeking partners for its final stage.
The 100-minute feature unfolds against the backdrop of Ukraine’s on-going war, focusing on the country’s vibrant underground dance culture. The film’s premise asks a striking question: “What if I told you the best party in the world is happening right now in Ukraine?” Through raves, friendships and late-night gatherings, Immortal Flowers follows three friends – Tarik, Svyat and Ivanna – as they navigate life amid missile strikes, air raids and the looming uncertainty of military draft.
As the official synopsis suggests, when one of their own vanishes, the group begins to reflect on survival and the fragile nature of youth when the future itself feels so unclear. “Ukraine’s underground dances under air raids. When any night can be your last, the party is proof you’re still alive,” reads the project description.
For the team, presenting the film in Thessaloniki represents an important industry milestone.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to present the film at AGORA this year. For us, it is an important chance to introduce the project to the industry for the first time and receive feedback from colleagues,” the producers said. “It is also an opportunity to find partners for the final stage of the film. We are currently looking for partners in sales and broadcasting, as well as one additional co-producer to join the project, support the post-production process, and help cover the remaining financial gap.”
Logvinsky, who divides his time between Ukraine and New York, has built the project through long-term engagement with the people portrayed on screen. “The film really began through friendship. I spent about two years getting close to a group of young people connected to Kyiv’s underground scene. They were incredibly natural, charismatic people, and I just fell in love with them and their energy,” he explained.
Over time, however, the circumstances surrounding the characters changed dramatically as the war intensified. “Over time, we kept filming as more intense and sometimes terrible things began happening in their lives. Some of them were drafted, some went to the front to fight, others began volunteering and supporting soldiers. At one point we even travelled with friends who were trying to organise parties near the front lines to lift morale.”
This evolving reality forms the narrative backbone of the film. “What interested me was seeing the different ways people deal with war. Some escape through music and nightlife, others throw themselves into helping or fighting. The film observes those different responses through their lives. Visually it’s mostly cinéma vérité, but there are moments of dance and music that bring a sense of beauty and rhythm into the film.”
Logvinsky believes the project may resonate particularly strongly. “I think the film can intercept a broad audience, but I’m especially excited about younger viewers. The people in the film are part of a really vibrant underground culture in Ukraine, and I think seeing their creativity, humour, and intensity can draw people in who might not normally watch a film about war.”
“My hope is that audiences first connect with the characters and their energy, and through that begin to understand the reality they’re living in.”
Logvinsky previously directed the short fiction film Catharsis, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2024. With Immortal Flowers, he now turns to feature documentary filmmaking, combining observational storytelling with the rhythmic pulse of dance and music culture to explore how a generation continues to live, create and celebrate even under the shadow of conflict.
The film, with an estimated budget of €400,000, has received €200,000 from private investment by Tommaso Rositani Sucker and Mark Joffee. The team is aiming for delivery by December 2026 while seeking additional partners in sales, broadcasting and co-production to complete post-production.
