Flatpack 2023 on film: Artists in Residence

I was fortunate enough to see Misha and Roksana perform their score for ‘In Spring’ at Mirage Festival in Norway last Autumn, and was utterly enchanted by the film and their performance - bringing them to Flatpack was a complete no brainer.

They lived in Kyiv at the start of the war, and then got special permission from the minister of culture to represent Ukraine around Europe performing. Misha has described their work as a bridge, bringing the reality of the war into people's minds - the film itself explores real people living their lives, a love letter to Kyiv filmed a hundred years ago. Watching Misha and Roksana open the festival at Moseley Road Baths was truly something special.

And we were lucky enough to be joined by both Misha and Roksana for the whole festival week. They worked with Sarah Farmer - an outstanding musician and composer based in Birmingham - on a brand new live score for Man with a Movie Camera, which closed out the festival with a night to remember.

“I feel privileged to have witnessed a unique event in the combination of film and outstanding musical accompaniment. A memorable experience. thank you.” - audience feedback

That Misha, Roksana and Sarah pulled such an extraordinary live score out of the bag in just one week is a testament to their talent and creativity. A huge thanks to them for all their hard work, to everyone who joined us at the festival, and to The British Council for their support for the residency, in particular Senior Relationship Manager, Tom Sweet.

Take a look behind the scenes and hear from the musicians themselves in this short video: