THE ARK

LOGLINE

The Ark is an improbable tale of resilience, resistance, and the transcendent relationship between a people and their land, as a Ukrainian family’s dream home transforms into an island of life for more than a 1000 displaced animals.

SYNOPSIS 

Zhenye and Anatoliy Pilipenko’s dream of a quiet place in the country is shattered overnight when Russia invades Ukraine. As rockets fall and fires rage, they face an impossible choice: flee the violence or stay and protect their home. When a soldier on his way to the frontline asks the couple if they can care for his goats - all 37 of them - while he fights in the trenches; their home transforms into the largest animal sanctuary in Eastern Ukraine. From rescued chickens, displaced donkeys, wandering horses and even emus, Anatoliy and Zhenye risk their lives and livelihoods to rescue any part of Ukraine they can . Told primarily through verité, amidst constant danger, heartbreaking loss and improbably an inextinguishable reservoir of hope, Zhenye and Anatoliy’s sanctuary stands as a defiant testament to the unbreakable bond between a nation, its people, and the land they refuse to surrender.

TEAM BIO

VIACHESLAV RAKOVSKYI - DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER

Viacheslav Rakovskyi is an award-winning Producer, Director and Cinematographer. Rakovskyi has shot multiple films and series including Big City Wizard, The Theory of Evil, and I Work at the Cemetery (British Independent Film Festival Award Winner - Best Feature Film, Best Cinematography). Rakovskyi has also served as art director, VFX-supervisor, ground producer, and technical manager on multiple international projects for BBC, France Télévisions, France Media World, INA, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, ZDF, FILM.UA Group, IQ Productions, and Good Morning Films, amongst others. Rakovskyi has been honored by the Ferrara Film Festival, Kyiv IFF Molodist, British Independent Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Munich Film Awards, The Calvert Journal Film Festival, Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Montelupo Fiorentino International Independent Film Festival - winner Best Cinematography.

JEREMY CHILNICK - DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Jeremy Chilnick is an Emmy-nominated writer and producer. He has written and produced multiple award winning films, including The Eagle Huntress, Rats, and the blockbuster documentary, One Direction: This Is Us. Chilnick has also served as showrunner, executive producer and written multiple series projects including: The Trade, 7 Deadly Sins, Morgan Spurlock: Inside Man, and The Simpsons. In addition to his film and television work, Chilnick has been at the forefront of digital content creation and branded content for partners including Disney, ESPN AMEX, Nestle and Toyota. Chilnick has been honored by the IDA, WGA, International Television of Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Critics Choice Awards as well as winning a Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.