Film "Talents for Paraska": on the big screen - little actors

But they are only small in age – from 5 to 11 years old. Their passion, however, is great, as they dedicate part of their free time to it. Their efforts are also great. Therefore, the result is significant. This time, the result takes the form of a feature film in which children acted. They not only played roles but also masterfully embodied the characters of their film heroes.

For the umpteenth time, we share on the pages of our newspaper the activities of the "Kinomalyatko" club, which was created at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the city of Palatine. It was organized and is devotedly run by Oksana Svidruk, a person who is driven by creative restlessness and inspires others with it. Although it is not easy to ignite children, as they are very sensitive to sincerity, openness, and reciprocity, she succeeds. Moreover, she manages to implement directorial projects that encourage both the very young and adults to reflect on the meaning of life, the power of faith and prayer, the importance of family in each person's life, the significance of love in each of our destinies, and the importance of our Christian, spiritual development.

Among the creative achievements of Oksana Svidruk and her "Kinomalyatko" are the film "Miracles of the Rosary," the video project "Prayer Book of Hope," the video film "Podolyanochka" (based on a famous children's spring song considering current Ukrainian realities), the plays "Christmas in Palatine" and "Easter Glow," and the talk show "Dialogues." Just recently, they premiered their latest work – the film "Talents for Paraska."

What is this film about? Let's hear from the film's director, Oksana Svidruk:

– This is a film about a girl who did not believe in her own abilities due to her parents' indifference but found the strength to reveal her talent with the help of a friend and the wisdom of a school teacher. The goal of the film is to encourage children and youth to discover and develop their talents. We wanted to show that everyone has a gift that can change their life and improve both their inner world and the world around them. It's a story about support and the power of friendship. It's a story about believing in oneself, even if the world around is not always kind. It's a story about how important it is for parents to invest their time in their children, about how the love of close ones shapes a child.

All those who attended the film's premiere witnessed such changes in the life of 8-year-old Paraska. The audience reacted sensitively to every situation the girl found herself in: her loneliness because her parents had their own affairs; her dreams of a new dress; her untidy appearance and withdrawn nature, which led to ridicule and even bullying; the theft of money from the teacher, which Paraska couldn't spend and returned after confession in church. Because the child's soul is bright and beautiful. And merciful. She gives coins to a homeless person... She feels sorry for a dirty stray cat... She knows what it's like to feel like nobody's, even when there are many people around, and you reach out to them... And Paraska reached out. And she believed in the sincere intentions of her classmate Dylan. And she trusted her grandmother. How important it is to have someone to share your doubts, experiences, and problems with! Faith, trust, and support are the first steps towards correcting the situation, towards life changes. Which, in the end, happened in Paraska's life. And she is happy! And she clings to her mother! And she sings because she has talent!

Believe me: what happened on the screen and what happened in the souls of the viewers was truly touching. Therefore, the film's director and producer, Oksana Svidruk, expresses sincere gratitude to everyone who, with the sincere blessing of spiritual mentors Father Mykhailo Kuzma and Father Yaroslav Mendyuk, worked with her as a team. She is grateful to those who, in creative and technical terms, as well as with parental support and sponsorship, contributed to the birth of the film "Talents for Paraska." All the children from the children's acting club "Kinomalyatko" starred in the film: the main roles were played by Yeva Saranchuk and Mark Topolnytsky, and other actors included Angelina Solomchak, Anna Mendelyuk, Arina Yarova, Karolina Zinkevich, Danylo Ilkiv, Danylo Polishchuk, Emilia Kulikovska, Emma Kleban, Illiana Vintonyak, Karina Koval, Kateryna Savchuk, Margarita Mryglod, Mila Vlasov, Sofiya Galunka, Taisia Shcherban, Viktoria Bodnar, Viktoria Zelenko, Vitalik and Volodymyr Storozhishyn. The main adult roles were played by Father Mykhailo Kuzma, Mary Kashul, Kateryna Hrod, Olga Mendyuk, Oksana Svidruk, Marta Babiy, Dmytro Galan, Ivanna Melay. The children's choir "Anhelyk" from the Church of the Immaculate Conception parish (led by Mariya Kyrychenko) and the model school "StarKids" participated in the film. The film's sponsors were Selfreliance Federal Credit Union (Oksana Malynka), Natalie Acevedo (mortgage broker, founder of The Acevedo Team), Vadym Zelenko (VZ Transportation – transportation company), Star Balloons LLC (party decorations), A&A Automotive Co (auto service and sales), Queen Rhythmic Gymnastics – rhythmic gymnastics studio.

Finally, a few highlights remain to be added.

The film «Talents for Paraska», created by the "Kinomalyatko" studio, became not just a children's project: it received a corresponding document from the U.S. Copyright Office, officially certifying it as a feature film with copyrights. This, in particular, means the right to apply for participation in film festivals, which director Oksana Svidruk dreams of, emphasizing: I want as many people as possible to see our story, I want to showcase our talented children, I want to use the language of cinema to show our culture, our faith, our family values.

Today, thanks to the efforts of Oksana Svidruk, sponsors, and parents, the film's presentation turned into a real cinema celebration: with a red carpet for young actors, a photo session under bright spotlights, greetings from guests, gifts for each participant, apt text introductions during the event by its host Natalia Maglakelidze, and the appropriate presence of animators from "SOVA Events" company.

A great pleasure for the organizers of the celebration was the participation of Ukrainian defenders in the film's presentation, who are in America for treatment and prosthetics with the support of the PROTEZ FOUNDATION charity fund. The hall greeted the guys with a standing ovation, and the young actors donated one thousand dollars from their club to them. In the future, the "Kinomalyatko" club plans charitable cooperation with the Ukrainian Women's Association of America (UWAA), founded by benefactor Oksana Taratula. Currently, UWAA, among other things, provides assistance to the City of Goodness in Ukraine. The young actors also want to send their English-language film with Ukrainian subtitles to the City of Goodness for screening, so that children there, who are in difficult life circumstances, believe in themselves and in the fact that, by God's will, they will surely meet people on their life path who will help them not to break, who will help them find themselves in life, develop their talents, and fulfill their dreams. Because this is the high Christian essence of the "Kinomalyatko" club's activities – the teaching of goodness, love, faith in the power of prayer, and the constant presence of God in our lives.

Photo by Liliya Kozubal

and the newspaper's editorial team.