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The movie "The Ghost of Christmas" by Mykhailo Penyevskyi from Kyiv was honored at the AI film contest!
It’s a truly special film. About darkness and the light that defeats it, about pain and the strength that overcomes it, about help and warmth, about loss… and new hope!
“On Christmas night, I saw the ghost of my son…” – from the first frames and words, this story grips you and touches the heart…
Third place at an international contest and a slew of rave reviews – that’s the story of the short film about Ukraine, “The Ghost of Christmas,” created by Mykhailo Penyevskyi from Kyiv, Ukraine, with the help of artificial intelligence! The film is a touching narrative about a mother who lost her son in the war, saw his ghost on Christmas, and how it changed her life.
“I wanted to tell a story that resonates with Ukrainians. A story that is true to life and gives the audience a bit of hope,” says Mykhailo himself.
And undoubtedly, he succeeded!
Today, we talk about creativity and volunteerism, and about a film that offers hope, with the film’s creator!
A Film About Ukraine for Ukrainians: A Story of Hope!
“Air raid sirens sound outside the window, Telegram channels warn of drone dangers, and there we are, my wife and I, watching the broadcast in the hallway, anxious and rooting for a film made possible by technologies that didn’t exist just a year ago…”
Mykhailo Penyevskyi, from Kyiv, with a passion and dream for filmmaking, found his priorities shifted with the onset of the full-scale war, like all Ukrainians. A makeshift workshop for making trench candles in his kitchen, volunteering, helping Ukrainian soldiers in hospitals… And even his filmmaking – about the war. But not just any film, one that garnered international attention!
Mykhailo Penyevskyi’s short film about Christmas in Ukraine during the war clinched third place at the 2023 AI Holiday Film Competition.
“The film was created using artificial intelligence technology,” the man shares. “I came up with the script myself – I wanted to tell about Ukrainian Christmas, our realities, and the circumstances we live in. I wanted it to be personal – and then the image of a lonely volunteer encountering a ghost in her apartment came to me.
I was compelled to develop this story, and so it evolved into a screenplay and, eventually, the film itself. I submitted it to the AI Holiday Film Competition – it was the first time it was held, and after some time, I learned that my film made it to the top eight finalists.”
“Watching the live broadcast of the final competition, where the winners were announced, with my wife at home in Kyiv, in the hallway, amidst the roar of drones – and learning about the third place was an incredible rush of emotion!
There were quite a lot of competition entries – more than a hundred and fifty. It was very touching to feel the empathy of the competition organizers and the international film community during the live broadcast,” the man says. “They were impressed that my film is a story based on our current life realities. There were many entries about the festive-pre-festive Christmas: with Santa Claus, gifts, garlands – and I must admit, I feared that my film, with its air raid sirens, trench candles, and war, would not be understood or accepted because it’s so different from the others… But my fears were unfounded – the jury took an interest in the film, and it moved them. Perhaps they didn’t grasp all the details of the film, but they were certainly deeply touched by it and its message.
At the same time, while for American and European audiences it might just be a film, we Ukrainians understand that this is our reality, our life… And with the disappearance of news about events in Ukraine from the front pages of world media, the war in Ukraine doesn’t just go away. Thus, my film is another opportunity to remind the world about the war and the need to support our country. Now, I’m looking for ways to show it to a larger audience, to send it to thematic festivals.”
Tons of Wax into Trench Candles!
“The reception of the film in Ukraine moved and amazed me deeply! There was an overwhelming number of responses – at one point, I couldn’t even keep up with reading everything that was written, there were so many… The film started being reuploaded on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and in total, it was watched by about one and a half million people.”
What touched Mykhailo the most was when people said the film made them cry – but these were tears of light, tears of relief. Hearing this was incredibly precious and important because he primarily wanted to create a story that, despite all the sadness and pain, brings light and hope – and when people felt this, Mykhailo was overjoyed. Because this light is what we lack in these dark times…
Everyone can find something of their own in the film: some have also lost a loved one, others have their kitchens filled with trench candles, some have spent holidays in shelters with strangers who have almost become family… In every frame, we recognize some aspects of our own lives.
“We also included many frames from our own life in the film. The shots of the main character, the mother, from behind – those are AI-processed photos of my wife Elvira in a red sweater; the shots with the cat – AI-processed photos of our cat Steven. And the frames with trench candles – they’re based on photos from the kitchen where my wife Elvira and I make trench candles.”
“Over the past year, my wife and I have processed a thousand kilograms of wax into trench candles for our soldiers,” Mykhailo shares. “We figured we made about three and a half thousand candles. Our volunteer friend, who has been making such candles since 2014, got us involved, taught us, and encouraged us. Anyone with a few hours of free time and the necessary materials can do it. Our friends, bless them, help us with materials – because we couldn’t afford to buy them in such volumes ourselves. Thanks to everyone who helped with funds, materials, or labor!”
Mykhailo and his wife also collaborate with the “Sewing Squad” – they provide adaptive clothing to hospitals where injured Ukrainian soldiers are treated and visit Ukrainian defenders there. Often, soldiers being treated for injuries have no relatives or friends in the city and may not always be able to buy the necessary clothing and hygiene products – so they always try to help. Elvira prepared homemade treats for the Ukrainian soldiers in the hospital and also raffled off delicious homemade cheesecakes for donations to the Ukrainian army.
“Supporting the army, helping our soldiers has long become a part of our daily life – we want to help and be useful.”
To Be Continued!
The Ukrainian public has only recently discovered Mykhailo Penyevskyi as an artist, following his recognition at a competition, but his work is already well-known abroad. He is the creator of the popular YouTube channel Yellow Medusa, where he uses neural networks to create videos that imagine how famous movies would look through the eyes of different directors.
“I wanted to create something of my own, to imagine, to be creative, and I was also very interested in AI technologies and the possibilities of artificial intelligence,” says Mykhailo. “I enjoy working with AI technologies to create content – they are impressive in their potential and allow you to create your own story without leaving home and with a rather limited budget.”
“It’s a fantastic tool, and I continue to be inspired and amazed by it. Just a year, or even six months ago, creating a film like “The Ghost of Christmas” with AI technologies would have been impossible, or it wouldn’t have been of such quality.
Now, I’m often asked whether to expect a new film after ‘The Ghost of Christmas’ and when exactly it will be released. Life has shown many incredible plots, and I have many thoughts and ideas that are brewing and maturing – and I want to implement them in film in an interesting form, to show both to Ukrainians and to the world. So – to be continued!”
