Chery Twig
short documentary film
Austria, Ukraine
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The film follows Alina, a ballerina who survived the occupation of Hostomel and fled to France. The director joins Alina as she retraces her journey from Hostomel to Ivano-Frankivsk, Warsaw, Bordeaux, and finally back to Kyiv. Along the way, Alina reflects on the challenges of escaping war, living in exile, and returning home.
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Through dance, Alina processes her experience and emotions, using movement to express what words cannot. The film captures the physical and emotional journey of rebuilding life after trauma, focusing on Alina’s resilience and the role of dance in her recovery.
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The film culminates in Alina returning to the stage, performing a piece that reflects on her journey. This observational documentary uses dance to explore the impact of war on the individual and the ongoing process of healing and adaptation.
Maria Shurkhal
was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. She started her professional education at the Serge Lifar Kyiv Municipal Ukrainian Academy of Dance and continued at the Anton Bruckner University, Linz. Now she lives and works in Austria as a freelance artist collaborating with institutions such as BRUT, WUK, Kulturhaus Brotfabrik, and Rose Breuss/Cie Off. Verticality, PUC collective, the National Austrian team of Rhythmic Gymnastics, Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst FHNW, Angewandte among others. She was a part of the Huggy Bears Mentoring Program 2020/21 and she was selected for the scholarship program In the Field of Wiener Festwochen in 2021. Next to that, she is currently a Dance researcher in the FWF project Atlas of Smooth Spaces at the University of Music and Performing arts Vienna. (MDW) She is a holder of BKA Start Stipendium für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in 2022, BMKÖS Residenz Stipendium 2023, and Arbeitsstipendium 2024 from Stadt Wien. In 2023./24 she has created a documentary film Bridges of Belonging in collaboration with Amin Ebrahimi. (Supported by Nowness/Taflix and the City of Vienna Grant for Film)
