My 19 y.o. Granny
Magic dress teleports a schoolgirl to USSR Lviv in 1975, where she meets her hippie grandparents.
Lyuba, an outsider bullied by her classmates, discovers a dress that transports her to 1975 Soviet Lviv — into a hippie community, where she meets her grandparents. In a community where Lyuba feels accepted as she is, she falls in love with the guitarist of a hippie rock band and transforms into a rebel, riding a bicycle past the CPSS building with her naked boyfriend, all while clashing with her mom in 2025. But as the KGB hunts them down, Lyuba reveals her identity and makes a heartbreaking farewell to the hippies in order not to risk the freedom of herself and her loved ones. Back in 2025, Lyuba bravely debuts on stage, singing her Grannie’s song and making peace with her mom.
Director's note
When Russia's invasion began, I was forced to confront a history I had always kept at arm's length, asking myself: how did we get here?
Searching for answers, I discovered the Lviv hippies of the 1970s. Unlike their Western counterparts, these young Ukrainians faced social disapproval and the mechanism of the KGB. I was fortunate to meet the movement's founders, who became the project's key consultants.
But I didn't want to make merely a historical film. I wanted to make a film about NOW.
My protagonist, Lyuba, inherited a freedom she never had to fight for or fully value. By throwing her into Soviet Lviv, I force her to experience the true cost of that freedom, tracing our centuries-old fight against oppression. Through the dangerous choices of her grandparents, Lyuba finally comprehends her mother’s pain — and ultimately, her own. The film's argument is simple: you cannot build a future without understanding your past.
At its core, the film’s tone is warm and poignant, deliberately balancing a coming-of-age journey with a rebellious, rock music’s heartbeat and a tender story of impossible love — its joy, and its price. As Lyuba plunges into the raw past, the electric energy of youth forces her to feel and fight like never before.
By making a film that sparks teenagers' curiosity about their roots and makes grandparents feel truly seen, I want to connect three generations of women across two timelines — revealing what it truly costs to finally become yourself.
Producer's note
As a producer, I am particularly committed to supporting emerging female filmmakers and creating opportunities for new voices in European cinema. Director Victoria Zadorska brings a fresh perspective, combining humor, emotional authenticity, and strong visual storytelling. Following our successful short film Me, Mom and the Cosmonaut, I believe this feature debut represents an important opportunity to introduce a distinctive new female talent to international audiences.
The project addresses themes that resonate strongly across contemporary Europe: personal freedom, generational conflict, identity, and resistance to conformity. For Ukrainian audiences, the story carries an additional emotional dimension. Years of war have profoundly affected young people's perception of the future, family relationships, and personal choices.
My 19-year-old Granny possesses significant audience potential. Its time-travel premise offers an accessible entry point for broad audiences, while the combination of romance, music, humor, and historical drama creates a cinematic experience capable of reaching the wider public.
As part of the Midpoint Ukraine Intensive and the Midpoint Feature Lab 2026, we worked with Ivo Trajkov and Pavel Jech as script doctors. We also won the Best Idea award from Eastern European VOD platform Sweet.TV.
The project has strong cultural links with participating countries through the shared history of youth counterculture across Central, Eastern and Northern Europe. The experiences of Ukrainian hippies closely parallel movements that developed in Europe, where music, alternative lifestyles, and artistic expression became peaceful forms of resistance to communist regimes. The legacy of Romas Kalanta in Lithuania and the Czech underground movement, including The Plastic People of the Universe, reflects the same desire for freedom.
We are open to shooting many scenes abroad and working with an international crew, which will enrich the film.
Biography
Olena Yershova graduated as a film director in Kyiv. Her short film as director and writer Demoniada premiered in the competition at Locarno IFF. In 2011 she created company TatoFilm, which operated in Ukraine and in Turkey. She produced 13 feature films, which received more than 250 awards. Olena served as a head of Antalya Film Forum (2019 - 2020). GURIA (Cannes Atelier 2022) in production and ESCAPE FROM HAREM – drama series (Turkey/France) awarded at Netflix/EPC competition in development.
Filmography
Selected Filmography with selected awards:
Brighton 4th, 2021
Anatolian Leopard, 2021 (dir. Emre Kayis)
Everything Will Not Be Fine by Adrian Pirvu, 2020
In our Synagogue, 2018 (dir. Ivan Orlenko)
Volcano, 2018 (dir. Roman Bondarchuk)
Frost, 2017 (dir.Sarunas Bartas)
Falling, 2017 (dir. Maryna Stepanska)
Gogita’s New Life, 2016 (dir. Levan Koguashvili)
Motherland, 2015 (dir. Levan Koguashvili)
Blind Dates, 2013 (dir. Levan Koguashvili)
Love Me, 2013 (dir. Maryna Gorbach and Mehmet Bahadir Er)
Profile
TatoFilm is an independent production company founded in 2011 by producer Olena Yershova, operating between Ukraine and Türkiye. The company develops internationally oriented auteur feature films and documentaries with strong artistic identity and international co-production potential. Since its establishment, TatoFilm has produced 10 feature films and 3 feature documentaries, receiving over 250 international awards. Its films have premiered at Cannes, Berlinale, Toronto, Tribeca, Tokyo and IDFA. Selected titles include Brighton 4th, Anatolian Leopard and Frost. Olena Yershova is a member of AMPAS, EFA, EPC and APSA, and formerly headed the Antalya Film Forum. Current projects include GURIA, developed through Cannes Atelier and awarded Best WIP at the Red Sea IFF, and Dream Girl, recipient of the ARTEKINO Award at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.