First teaser for poet Lesya Ukrainka biopic by filmmaker Nana Janelidze [VIDEO]

The production team for a new biopic on Lesya Ukrainka, an iconic national poet of Ukraine, has released their first teaser for the feature directed by award-winning Georgian film director Nana Janelidze.

The in-production film stars Daria Polunina (Blood Sausage, Desaturated) in the role of the 1871-born poet and playwright, focusing on the time she spent with her partner Serhiy Merzhynsky in 1901.

Polunina will be seen portraying the young poet during the final days of Merzhynsky, who fell ill and was cared for by Ukrainka. It was the time when Oderzhyma, one of the most known poems of the latter, was born.

Daria is an extraordinary actor with great future ahead of her. From the very first glance I could see her coping perfectly with the role of Lesya Ukrainka" — Nana Janelidze.

The Georgian filmmaker also said the filming of the teaser had been “a test for the entire team” to show if they would manage to “reconstruct” the character of the poet, and added she thought “everything worked out the best way possible”.

Filming of the feature has been taking place in Kiev, with locations in Ukraine and Georgia set to feature in further shooting. The work is produced by JS Films and FX Film Production Georgia.

Lesya Ukrainka authored her first poem at the age of eight and published her first work at 13. Her poems are recognised for themes of aspirations for her homeland’s independence from the Russian Empire as well as personal feelings. She was also known for her plays and as a political activist.

The poet travelled throughout Europe and in the South Caucasus — including to Georgia, where she spent the final years of her life.

Janelidze has worked on a range of fiction and documentary works since the 1970s, including writing the screenplay for Repentance (winner of the principal prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, among other awards) and directing Lullaby (1994) and Will There Be a Theatre Up There?! (Honourable Mention of the Federal Foreign Office Award at the 2012 Wiesbaden goEast Festival).

In 2016 she was an invited jury member for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France and worked as Director of the Georgian National Film Centre between 2013-2016.