PIDVISKA (SUSPENSION)
In 1990, in a small Soviet Ukrainian town, a rebellious teenage boy fights against his oppressive environment and his seemingly complacent father. The totalitarian State and the rampant antisemitism threaten the very fabric of his family and their dream of a better life in America.
PIDVISKA (SUSPENSION) is a continuation of our successful, award-winning short film, OBRAZA (RESENTMENT) where we met Yasha Spivak, a rebellious teen, struggling to navigate life in a small Ukrainian town in the 1990s. He faces challenges at home, at school, and on the streets. Frustrated by his father’s beliefs and alienated by the system, Yasha acts out. But his self-expression takes a disturbing turn, leading to consequences that impact his entire family and community, and leave Yasha’s future irreparable.
PIDVISKA (SUSPENSION) is an intense exploration of the world Gleb Osatinksi (writer/director) grew up in. Starting with Yasha's alienation at school, his complicated relationship with his father, and leading to Yasha's impulsive behavior that puts his family at risk, the film details the struggles and conflicts of a family in crisis. OBRAZA (RESENTMENT), primarily reveals Yasha Spivak’s ill-fated journey for respect, identity, and belonging.
PIDVISKA (SUSPENSION), examines Yasha’s complex struggle to be heard, but at its core, it is a personal film about the Spivak family, as they face the consequences of Yasha's actions, as well as repeated threats from their oppressive, antisemitic state-controlled environment, all of which threaten to tear the family apart before they can realize their dream.
Will Yasha’s impulsive actions jeopardize the family's dream for a better life in America?
This narrative, set in the early 1990s, resonates deeply with the experience of many families in 2025, who unfortunately are increasingly facing the same issues as the Spivaks.
CREDITS
Director: Gleb Osatinski
Producer: Gleb Osatinski, J. Dixon Byrne
Executive Producer: Ira Sachs
Writer: Gleb Osatinski, Marina Petrova
Co-Producer: SMART CASUAL
Cinematographer: Vytautas Katkus