The Idol

Director: Anastasiia Pashenko

Anastasiia Pashchenko is a filmmaker from Kyiv, now based in Prague, where she studies Montage at FAMU. She previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in Television Directing from Kyiv National Karpenko-Kary University. Her films explore the lives of
teenagers—rebellious, and the search for freedom, love, and identity. She has directed several short films, a documentary, and a music video, all touching on themes of growing up. The Edge of the Sky Burns (2021), a coming-of-age drama about siblings in Kyiv experiencing drugs for the first time, was screened at international festivals. Odd (2020), based on a Ukrainian novel, won Best Cinematography at festival First Step.
It follows a boy from a 20th-century village who finds inspiration in nature and expresses himself through painting, but his grandfather dismisses his passion as useless, prioritizing survival and hard work instead. Her music video Elene (2021) further explores teenage freedom and rebellion against parental control. Anastasiia’s upcoming short film The Idol, selected for Linz Short Lab 2025, continues exploring self-growth, adolescence, first experiences with drugs, true friendship, and the illusions of love. She plans to expand it into a feature set in Kyiv in 2015, reflecting the protagonist’s search for identity and freedom amid the rise of underground culture.