Defy Erasure—Fund This Film on a Ukrainian Artist’s Story of Art, War, and Identity

When we first discovered artist Alla Hurenko, known professionally as Pazza Pennello, in 2017, her paintings struck us with an undeniable feminine power. Over time, we became not just collectors of her work but also friends. In January 2022, as we prepared to film a narrative project, we reached out to feature one of her works in our production design. It was meant to be a simple collaboration—one painting shipped from Odesa to Los Angeles. Two days before the painting was scheduled to ship out, her world changed. Ukraine was thrust into war. The peace of her homeland collapsed. Borders shut. Communication fractured. We feared for Alla’s safety and wondered if the painting would ever leave her city. Yet, against all odds, she found a way.

As the piece made its way from Ukraine to Poland, to Vienna, Chicago, and finally, Los Angeles, we grew closer to Alla herself. Through messages, photos, and videos, she shared updates of the painting's journey and her reality: air raid sirens, drones, bombs—war unraveling life as she knew it. And yet, she continued to paint. We asked her if she would start filming her experience, and she said yes.

We realized early this was more than just a story of day-to-day survival. It was about the role of art in preserving identity, in resisting erasure, and showcasing Alla’s personal strength as incredible inspiration.

Room of the Absolute became a collaboration across continents. From the heart of the conflict, Alla filmed her life on an iPhone 14, while we directed remotely from Los Angeles—bridging time zones and unimaginable circumstances. Like the era where home movies were once shot on VHS, this film—raw, intimate, personal—feels like an unearthed diary, a chronicle of a life on the edge of uncertainty.

The story unfolds organically, free from film crew intervention. The absence of a traditional camera crew meant that we could stand beside her in both the quiet and the chaos, capturing her world through her own lens. We wanted the audience to witness reality as it happened—to feel the power of her brushstrokes as she painted through war, to understand that creation itself could be an act of resistance.

But war wasn’t her only battle. As the conflict raged on, Alla faced a life-threatening health crisis that required surgery and months of recovery. Her fight was not just for her country or her art—it was for her own health.

Three years later, the war continues. Yet Alla remains unwavering, devoted to her family, her country, and her art—knowing that everything she loves could be gone tomorrow.

Room of the Absolute is a time capsule, a testament to resilience in the face of relentless destruction. It is a meditation on defiance, on the artist’s refusal to flee, on the need to create even when the world is falling apart.

To bring this story to life, we collaborated with those who understood its urgency and depth. Editor Jocelyne Chaput, who worked on the Academy Award-nominated Fire of Love, joined us in shaping this deeply personal narrative—one as raw and unforgettable as the woman at its heart.

- Co-Directors Natalie Shirinian and Elizabeth Baudouin