This is not a movie. This is not a video game. This is real life.
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Meet Oleg. He is part of the Maidan Self Defense group. This is an independent group of men who have united over their unwavering dedication to Ukraine.
They live in canvas tents and makeshift structures on the Maidan. One hundred and one people have died. Those people are the friends of the defenders.
We met Oleg while interviewing his friend Masha, a beautiful 20-something student who brews tea for the men in these camps. Oleg was sitting in the corner of the tent with his face buried in his hands.
As we began to pack our gear, he asked us to interview him. I cried twice while speaking to him and nearly threw up afterwards.
At a dinner party last week, the host brought two live grenades to the dinner table. It looked like a sick centerpiece. “These,” he says, “these are for the Russians.” Again, this is not a video game. This is real life. The stakes are high.
BLKFLM has partnered with two local film companies to assist one another on our projects. Last week, we interviewed famous Ukrainian Pop Stars who are using their public images as a platform to spread messages of peace.
In one interview, we drove 20 minutes outside Kiev to a small coffee shop in which we found the artist sitting with his head low beneath a GAP hoodie in the corner of the cafe. The American TV show “Friends” aired on the TV on the wall. The interview was fast and we did our best to be as discreet as possible.
When we aren’t running around with cameras, we sit together on our laptops, checking the news every 30 minutes. We discuss the news, or lack thereof. By night we sit together, drinking tea and repeating how unbelievable this crisis is.
Despite the situation, it’s not always so serious. We spend a lot of time cracking jokes. We are fighting for freedom and happiness after all.
The revolution has been instavised! Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @BLKFLM for pictures and updates.
This post originally appeared at Elite Daily
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