I Wasn’t Supposed to Exist

I Wasn’t Supposed to Exist is a personal and intergenerational film about Ukrainian women’s resilience under the weight of Russian imperialism. Rooted in my own family history, it explores how identity is formed and carried through dialogue between generations. The film centres on myself, my mother, and my grandmother tending to my great-grandmother’s grave — an intimate act that becomes a gesture of survival, resistance, and connection.

The work combines oral histories, recorded family conversations, archival footage, music, and ritual practices. This layering creates a counter-narrative to imperialist histories that have long attempted to erase Ukrainian voices. By contrasting personal testimonies with the sounds of war, the film situates everyday acts of care within the broader struggle for cultural endurance.

Methodologically, the film rejects linear, Western storytelling structures and embraces an experimental, intuitive approach. It is shaped by anti-colonial thinking, refusing to silence or edit the lived experiences of the colonised. Instead, it builds a space where Ukrainian voices can speak on their own terms.

In doing so, the work questions Eurocentric traditions of representation and contributes to broader conversations on memory, survival, and cultural sovereignty.