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Oscar Winner David Dinerstein Boards ‘Room Of The Absolute’ As EP; Award-Winning Doc Creates Portrait Of Ukrainian Artist Alla Hurenko
Oscar winner David Dinerstein has joined the short documentary *Room of the Absolute* as an executive producer as it pursues an Oscar campaign. Directed by Natalie Shirinian and Elizabeth Baudouin, the film follows Ukrainian painter Alla Hurenko and shows how she continues making art and maintaining a sense of identity during the war.
The 18-minute documentary was filmed by Hurenko on an iPhone 14 over three years, capturing daily life in Kyiv, air raids, time with her family and her work as an artist. Producer Christine Beebe has also joined the project; it has won awards at festivals in Provincetown and Minneapolis-St Paul, and received documentary short nominations at Woodstock and Mill Valley. Dinerstein previously won an Oscar for *Summer of Soul* and executive produced the nominated documentary *Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom*.
In short
- Oscar winner David Dinerstein joins the film’s producing team.
- Alla Hurenko documented three years of life during the war.
- The short is now pursuing an Oscar campaign.
Explained simply
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, bringing fighting and air raids to cities including Kyiv. Many Ukrainians have had to adapt daily life around the threat of attack while maintaining family, work and cultural life.
Alla Hurenko is a Ukrainian painter who lives in Kyiv. Her film documents her life and art during the war, offering a view of how one artist’s work and sense of identity fit into that experience.
Natalie Shirinian and Elizabeth Baudouin directed the short documentary, which Hurenko filmed herself on an iPhone over three years. Executive producer David Dinerstein has worked on films about music and Ukraine; his credits include the Oscar-winning Summer of Soul and the nominated Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.
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