'Those who stayed': New Ukrainian Netflix series about war

About the series

As the creators of the series have told us, each episode is a "artistic mini-film inspired by real events, and some characters have prototypes in real life."

The stories are the following:

• Olha, together with her children, is forced to live in the same house with two men - her current and former partners.
• Maksym is trapped at work in the zoo, from where he can't leave due to the war.
• A homeless person living in a car helps the local TRO.
• A boy named Yehor finds solace in his imagination, where he shoots down rockets like angry birds.
• A German man named Klaus comes to Kyiv to retrieve his girlfriend but ends up among volunteers and joins their work.
• A legend of Ukrainian pop (who, by the way, was inspired by Andrii Danylko) streams from his city apartment and becomes an inspiration for millions.

"These are ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary, terrifying conditions - however, they have preserved their humanity, love for their loved ones, and faith in the future," comment the creators.

Directors

Interestingly, each episode of the "Those Who Stayed" series was directed by different directors. Some of the directors involved in the project include:

• Oleksii Yesakov and Tala Prystaietska, who worked on the series "Kriposna."
• Artem Lytvynenko, the author of the idea and director of the "Nyukhach" series.
• Valentyn Shpakov and Pavlo Ostrikov, the authors of "Pershi Lastivky" and "Ty - Kosmos".
• For Katya Tsaryk, the author of numerous music videos, concert shows, and short films like "Obiymy mene," this project marks her first full-lengthwork.

Where and when will the series premiere

One of the standout features of the series is that it will premiere on Netflix in Ukraine and several European countries, including Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Moldova, the Baltic, and Balkan countries on November 1.

This marks the first time a Ukrainian project will premiere on a streaming service and simultaneously in multiple countries.

Additionally, in more than 12 countries, such as Iceland, Australia, and France, the series will be shown on national television channels.

In Ukraine, the series will also be available on the 1+1 channel next year.

Still from the series "Those Who Stayed"

The series' producers also emphasize that this is the "first Ukrainian project that has effectively been ordered by foreign channels." At the initial stages of the series' development, Swedish (SVT), Norwegian (NRK), and Finnish (YLE) channels joined FILM.UA Group as co-producers. The worldwide distributor is the German company Red Arrow Studios International, with which this project was developed even at the script level.

In addition, the project has already received support from leading festivals, including TV Drama Vision, Helsinki Script, Conecta FICTION, Nordic Script, Content Budapest, Serial Killer, and Oslo Series Day.

"Ukraine is currently in the world's spotlight, and the international audience is interested in learning about what is happening to us, not only through the news but on a deeper level. The format of an artistic series allows us to feel our pain and hope more deeply - and to relate ourselves to ordinary Ukrainians," shares producer Anna Yeliseieva.

Still from the series "Those Who Stayed"