International Documentary Film Festival
March 30 - April 6, 2025
Kaptol Boutique Cinema, Zagreb

Lessons of Happiness (Уроки щастя)

Oleksii Yeroshenko

Lessons of Happiness

The third school year begins in Ukraine under the shadow of a full-scale war. Natalia, a teacher in a seemingly peaceful Ukrainian city, is about to welcome a new class. She creates an island of safety and joy for her fifth-graders, which helps her to abstract from worries about her own son, who serves on the front line. “No one will ever stop us from celebrating the day of knowledge!” says Natalia. But on the first day of classes, her dreams are shattered by the reality of war.

Ukraine 2024, '21

DIRECTOR: Oleksii Yeroshenko

SCENARIO: Oleksii Yeroshenko

CAMERA: Yevhen Chornyi, Oleksii Yeroshenko

MONTAGE: Oleksii Yeroshenko, Yelyzaveta Sherstnova

MUSIC: Oleh Kolomiiets, Myroslav Melymuk

PRODUCERS: Alisa Kutsenko, Anastasiia Chaikovska

PRODUCTION: NGO ZMIST

Oleksii Yeroshenko

Oleksii Yeroshenko

Oleksii Yeroshenko is a documentary film director, producer, and co-founder of Spoluka Films, an independent production company. He began his career as a multimedia journalist and producer in Kharkiv, documenting the Russian-Ukrainian war for two years. Covering frontline stories and deoccupied territories, he developed a cinematic approach that captures both resilience and fragility.

Oleksii has worked on films for ARTE, ITV, Suspilne, and Takflix. He contributed as a cameraman and assistant producer to The Grave (2023), a British-Ukrainian feature documentary nominated for the Royal Television Society Award.

His films explore themes of identity, trauma, and strength, challenging perceptions and sparking dialogue. Currently, he is developing new projects within international co-production frameworks to expand the reach of Ukrainian documentary cinema.

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