Oleksandra Basko expresses her thoughts and feelings on Moscow Night’s adaptation of her war diary in a touching letter…
June 2024 Press Release by Media Contact Cynthia Maddox
July 2024 Article review by War of Films Film Festival, Barcelona.
Oleksandra Basko’s “A Non-Fictional War” is a gripping, present saga of her family’s personal journey through the strife and uncertainty of the Russo-Ukrainian War and Putin’s full-scale invasion of her country. Adapted into dramatic form by Artistic Director Natasha O. Ramer, this theatrical work captures the universal terror that transcends political and geographic borders, focusing on the human experience, particularly that of a mother seeking the protection, growth, and betterment of her husband and three children.
Moscow Nights’ Ramer discovered Oleksandra’s real-time biography online and was moved to bring the universal experiences of her life in a war-torn country to the greater world by adapting her memoirs into a dramatic production. The narrative starkly depicts the abrupt plunge into conflict, emphasizing severe food shortages, the necessity of cash transactions, and the constant echo of air raid sirens.
On February 23, 2022, the tranquility of an ordinary morning for Sasha and Slava, a Ukrainian couple, was shattered. Within 24 hours, their simmering fears of invasion exploded into reality as war engulfed Europe, marking a profound collision between the mundane and the catastrophic. This transformation is at the heart of “A Non-Fictional War,” a groundbreaking theater-on-film production by New Orleans-based Moscow Nights.
Directed by Natasha O. Ramer, the film adaptation of Oleksandra Basko’s heartfelt diary captures her turmoil in the initial days of the war. Stage veterans Erin Cessna and Casey D. Groves give riveting portrayals of Sasha and Slava, exploring a vast array of emotions as they confront the grim realities of war. Through Sasha’s perspective, played by Cessna, the audience follows a transformative journey from depths of despair to a resilient, hopeful belief in the endurance of the human spirit.
Ramer’s personal connection to the story enriches the film’s authenticity. Having spent her formative years in Ukraine and Lithuania before moving to Moscow, Ramer’s roots in Eastern Europe are deeply embedded. Since emigrating to the U.S. in 1982 and founding Moscow Nights, she has been committed to promoting a deeper understanding of Eastern European culture through the arts. “The invasion resonated deeply within me, igniting a desire to articulate my distress,” Ramer reveals. “Oleksandra Basko’s diary became a powerful medium to convey this profound narrative of despair and resilience.”
The film’s authenticity is meticulously upheld by a talented team, including executive director and executive producer Murrell “Ray” White, Jr., with contributions from Tulane University scholars such as Samuel C. Ramer, who translated Basko’s reflections into English, and visually captivating work by cinematographer Antony Sandoval. Additional artistic elements from set and scenic designer Diana Cupsa, lighting designer Samuel Verdina, and choreographers Anthony Neuman and Jeffrey Gunshol, further elevate the production.
“A Non-Fictional War” is more than just a film; it stands as a poignant testament to the resilience found in the direst circumstances and acts as a bridge connecting distant lands with shared histories and realities. This theatrical work aims to share the personal saga of Oleksandra and her family in this current, unfolding conflict that has gripped the world’s attention, offering a lone voice pulled from the noise of the 24-hour news cycle, as she explains current events to her children, fears for their safety, looks to her husband for shared strength, and tries each day to see the light from the dawn of a day without war.
Oleksandra Basko is a writer and certified birth doula living in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, when Putin’s invasion of Ukraine commenced. Oleksandra was born days after the citizens of Ukrainan voted to live in an independent republic and sever their ties with the faltering Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Basko grew up with a deep love for her homeland and a desire for freedom and democratic values, studying for the first time the true history of Ukraine, unfiltered by Soviet propaganda.
She began writing at 5 years old and has continued to write throughout her life, studying dancing, psychology, and medical studies. Basko developed a social media presence in the interest of sharing knowledge as a certified birth doula. She is married with three children and continues to write throughout Vladimir Putin’s onslaught against her country.
Her personal experiences of this conflict are being developed in 2022 by Moscow Nights into a production entitled ‘A Non-Fictional War’.
Originally from France, Antony Sandoval has worked as an actor and Theatre director worldwide. His directing credits include various productions for Tadashi Suzuki’s Theatre Company at the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center in Shizuoka and Toga Mura, Japan. He also directs in the United States, where he received a “Garland” and” LA Weekly” Awards for best Director and a nomination for an Ovation Award again for Best Direction. His directorial work was seen at the Franko National Theatre in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he opened a new adaptation of the book “Heart of the Dog” at the first International Bulgakov Festival. His production “The Tale of Mephisto” was also invited to the Gimhae Asian Performing Art Festival (GAPA) in South Korea.
His acting credits include performing in Japan under the direction of renowned director Tadashi Suzuki. He has also performed throughout the USA in various Theatre festivals and has appeared on television shows and movies on many occasions.
Antony received his MFA in Acting from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Delaware. He is currently a Professor at the Theatre and Dance Department at Tulane University in New Orleans. He is one of the founding members of the “International Theatre Laboratorium-USA,” ITL-USA. He also founded ITL CREATIVE (a film production company itlcreative.com) in 2014 to adapt his stage production “Medea” into a featurette titled “Medea Redux.”. For this project, he was a 2016 Royal Reel Winner in the Experimental film Competition Canada International Film Festival, a Winner of the 2015 Award of Merit Accolade Global Film Competition in the Experimental Section, and part of the official selection for the 2016 Madrid International Film Festival, 2016 San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival and 2015 Hong Kong Pineapple Underground Film Festival.
He also won Best Director at the 2021 Monza Film Festival in Monza, Italy, for this project. His short Incarnation received an Honorable Mention at the 2022 Tokyo International Short Film Festival (TISFF) and is part of the 2023 Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival Official Selection.
He is also working on two film projects for Moscow Nights, a USA-based production company.
Magnificent performances by the entire cast. Superlative and meticulous artistic and technical direction, taking care of all the scenic details.
-- Brilliant!``
Moscow Nights is funded in part by the generous donations of culturally conscientious supporters like yourself to continue to develop and give life to productions that celebrate Russian and Eastern European Culture & Heritage in dramatic forms.
Please consider giving today to ensure Moscow Nights can continue to educate, entertain, and empower these stories that resonate with the human experience and that knows no boundaries.
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Moscow Nights is funded in part by the generous donations of culturally conscientious supporters like yourself to continue to develop and give life to productions that celebrate Russian and Eastern European Culture & Heritage in dramatic forms.
Please consider giving today to ensure Moscow Nights can continue to educate, entertain, and empower these stories that resonate with the human experience and that knows no boundaries.
Click the "Donate" button below to visit the PayPal donation page and complete an on-line contribution. (This will open a new browser tab)
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