The premiere of the documentary Match in a Haystack took place at Kyiv’s iconic Zhovten Cinema. The film is the debut release from Dangerous Company, a studio founded by five-time Emmy Award winner Joe Hill. The screening was part of the “Art of Trauma” program at the Odesa International Film Festival and followed its high-profile world premiere in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
“This film isn’t about war as an event or about the bombings themselves. Its real conflict is internal. It’s a story about doubt that paralyzes every artist: does it make sense to create when the world is falling apart?” — reports Humanitarian Media Hub.
At the heart of the story is a leading Ukrainian female contemporary dance troupe attempting to stage a performance titled Kosachka after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Rehearsals took place during blackouts, air raid alerts, and in between volunteer shifts. It’s more than art — it’s a way to hold oneself together when friends are dying on the frontlines.
The film is dedicated to the memory of Volodymyr Rakov — dancer, choreographer, and FPV drone pilot of the 24th Mechanized Brigade, who was killed near Chasiv Yar on January 6, 2025. His name has become a symbol of the inner strength the film seeks to portray.
Among those present at the premiere was Anatolii Sachivko — founder of Apache Crew and now a soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He appears in the film, and Joe Hill captured his current life in Kyiv, adding another layer of reality to the narrative.
Cinematographer Nathaniel Brown and choreographer Stefania Noll, who also co-produced the film, held a masterclass titled “Dance as a Documentary Technique.” They shared their unique approach: interviews with the dancers were recorded through movement rather than words, allowing emotions to be conveyed without verbal explanation.
The film’s score was composed by Ukrainian-American Oscar winner Katya Richardson (The Last Repair Shop), with additional music by the band DakhaBrakha, enriching the film’s emotional depth and rhythm.
Guests at the premiere included actress Marina Mazepa, musician Valeriy Kharchyshyn, director Antonina Noyabrova, artist Olena Pryduvalova, Ivan Honchar Museum director Petro Honchar, and publisher Lidiya Lykhach, among others.
The Kyiv premiere was supported by Ukrainian streaming platform MEGOGO. The film has been available for free since September 26, and will be included in the subscription catalog starting October 3.
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