Episode 5: Luzer Twersky

Bickerstaff.734 is an independent creative agency from Ukraine with offices in Kyiv and Lisbon. They were born during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and continue to move forward at full speed now, while Ukraine is at war. In these three and a half years, both large and small businesses, government institutions, and international organizations have dared to work with them, creating major projects that have ultimately been recognized by many international festivals, such as: Cannes Lions, D&AD, Epica Awards, ADC Annual, Golden Drum, Effie Awards Europe, Comm Arts, and we also brought back the first-ever award for Ukraine from the London International Awards.

Spiilka is a Kyiv-based design büro that bridges engineering and aesthetics to create significant projects. In this episode, design directors Nastichka Zherebetska and Volodymyr Smyrnov discuss the launch of their recent project, the first contemporary periodical magazine about Ukrainian design, Archive of Ukrainian design ("Літопис українського дизайну") and the importance of preserving Ukrainian design history.

Mykolai Sierga is a Ukrainian musician, comedian, and cultural activist. In this episode we’ll discover Mykolai's journey from Odesa to the heart of Ukraine's cultural resistance, where he uses his talents to lift the spirits of soldiers through music and humor. Learn about his innovative mobile studio bus project, which brings live music to the front lines, demonstrating the powerful role of art in sustaining hope and resilience in times of war.

TUMAZAR is a Ukrainian singer, musician, and TikTok creator. His videos gathered huge numbers of views and his clever simple hacks can help anyone who learns English.

Anton Tymoshenko is a Ukrainian stand-up star from the Dnipro region. He’s a member of the League of Laughs and twice winner of the Make a Comedian Laugh project, a resident of the Underground Stand Up club, and one of the leaders of the Stand Up Time project. Anton Tymoshenko also managed to give an interview to the famous American TV host David Letterman and appear (for a moment) in the same episode with the President of Ukraine on Netflix. Anton has been doing stand-up since 2015. Political trends and events are among the central topics of his jokes. The comedian talks about them funny and professionally, as he has a degree in political science.

OTOY is a project of Ukrainian hip-hop artist Vyacheslav Drofa, which he presented in September 2020. In the tracks OTOY raps only in Ukrainian and English, expresses his civil and social position, as well as tells about current events in Ukraine and the world. «There is no chance I will have another life when I can do my music. I don't have a lot of time on this planet. The war is happening. We are doing war. We are doing rap.”

Tina Peresunko is a founder of the Leontovych Institute and author of the book “100 Years of Ukraine`s Cultural Diplomacy – Shchedryk’s World’s triumph”. Topics include: • "Shchedryk is much more than a Christmas song. It's a politically significant song for Ukrainians." • "The appearance of Shchedryk in Ukraine in 1916 is linked to the historical context of the collapse of the Russian Empire during World War I." • "This song became a tool for cultural diplomacy, promoting international recognition of Ukrainian statehood during the Paris Peace Conference in 1922." • "The song faced challenges during the Soviet era, as it was suppressed and misrepresented as a Russian folk song, leading to the murder of the composer, Mykola Leontovych." • "The history of Shchedryk is an example of Ukrainian soft power, showcasing the country's cultural diplomacy and historical significance."

Luzer Twersky is an American film and television actor. He plays Baal Shem Tov in the Ukrainian film “Dovbush”. Topics include: • “I’ve never done a movie like this” • The challenges while learning the lines in the Ukrainian language • The thing that hit Luzer the hardest in Zaporizhzhia • Rosh Hashana in Uman is like a Burning Man festival • As a Jewish man, how does it make him feel to hear Russian propaganda • Ukraine is more like America than people want to believe

Daniel Bilak is a Canadian-born volunteer serviceman in the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, former Chief Investment Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, lawyer, and co-producer of the “Dovbush” movie. Topics include: • Ukraine’s historical struggle for freedom and liberty • “Dovbush” is one of the biggest blockbuster in the Ukrainian film history • How this movie speaks to contemporary audiences in the context in which we find ourselves today • The highly challenging process of finishing the film during wartime • Cutting-edge innovations in the soundtrack by Alla Zagaykevych and Aleksandr Chorniy • Extra creative Ukrainians who can find the solution to any problem, from engineers to soldiers • “The world has become numb to the level of atrocities that Russians have done, and that’s why it’s important to talk about this” • How Zelenskyy, a man from show business, got elected • The future of the Ukrainian film industry

Volodymyr Shchur is a Ukrainian opera singer and artist of the Honoured Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Topics include: • “Opera singing is something between science, sport, and art.” • How the Ukrainian language and climate affect singing • “We have all the chances to create a Ukrainian opera singing school.” • Strict bends for Ukrainian singers during the Soviet Union • Borys Hmyrya - “basso-absoluto.” Story of the life of a legendary Ukrainian opera singer. He released 250 vinyl releases and 120 re-issues, and you couldn't find all these recordings in the Soviet Union. They were for sale abroad. • Hmyrya recordings in La Scala museum • The future of Ukrainian opera • “Ukraine is not only gopak and borsht. We have academic art and a long, beautiful classical tradition.”