RIGA IFF 2025
Client Support Centre:
support@rigaiff.lv
Client Support Centre:
support@rigaiff.lv
Amir, a 34-year-old Azerbaijani migrant in Ukraine, works as a translator and news editor. As war looms, his ex-wife and daughter flee to Germany, but he hesitates to leave again. While translating a police case, he meets Sahib, a young fellow Azerbaijani wrongly accused of drug crimes. Amir’s attempt to help leads him through Kyiv’s diaspora and on a personal journey, mirroring the fate of Parajanov’s Ashik-Kerib – the foreigner and wanderer.
Type of work: Film
Stage: Development
Looking for: Co-producer, distributors, sales agents, festivals
Contacts: sochyvets@gmail.com
Jury statement: This project has this kind of cinematic magic – when you see this character on screen, you want to spend time with him, even though you can’t explain why.
In 2015, director and producer Valeria Sochyvets founded the organization CUC (Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema) with the goal of discovering new talents. She is a member of the European Film Academy, the Ukrainian Film Academy, and the Ukrainian Guild of Directors. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talents and Sarajevo Talents 2023, and a member of the Film Bridge Ukraine program at Wajda Film School (2023–2024). She holds a BA from Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theater, Film, and TV.
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