Ukrainian Producer Oleg Kokhan: ‘The World Must See Ukraine Beyond War and Victimhood’

Oleg Kokhan is a Ukrainian theater and film producer and founder of SOTA Cinema Group, known for his collaborations with prominent Ukrainian directors, including Kira Muratova and Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi. In 2026, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars. In this interview with Kyiv Post, Kokhan discusses the international prospects for Ukrainian cinema, the need to decolonize the global cultural landscape, and the transition from festival success to a fully fledged global film industry.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Kyiv Post: You are one of five Ukrainian producers invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year. Academy membership opens up new professional opportunities. What does this mean for Ukraine? How do you plan to use this access to tools of global influence? Oleg Kokhan: The entry of Ukrainian producers into the Academy is not simply a personal professional victory or a status symbol. It expands our presence on the world’s most influential film platform. Until now, Ukraine has more often been an object of attention for global cinema: People discussed us, sympathized with us, and foreign filmmakers made films about us. Academy membership gives us the right and the tools to become full-fledged participants and help shape the global cinematic agenda. We gain a direct voice in determining the best, but more importantly, we gain the opportunity to build a network of cultural influence. Other Topics of Interest Ukrainian Delegation Heads Toward Oleshky for Aid Mission The delegation’s departure follows mine-clearance work on aid routes under a humanitarian ceasefire scheduled to last until Nov. 1. This means converting attention into real industry collaboration and, consequently, creating new films. It means advocating for Ukrainian films and working systematically to ensure that Hollywood is no longer surprised by our ability to make world-class cinema, but instead begins to see Ukraine as an equal, strong partner with unique experience and talent. Hollywood has worked with Russia for decades and continues to do so despite its imperialist policies. What still prevents the global film industry from recognizing the real causes of Russia’s war against Ukraine? Two things stand in the way: The inertia of comfort and the optical illusion in which the West has lived for more than a century. Hollywood is an enormous, pragmatic corporate machine. For decades, Russian culture invested billions of dollars in creating the myth of “great Russian culture” – Dostoevsky and ballet. This myth was convenient, aesthetically packaged, and marketed as a universal brand of Eastern Europe. Everything around it – Ukrainian, Georgian, and Kazakh culture – was viewed by the Western film world through a Moscow-centric lens as “provincial folklore.” When the full-scale war began, the West faced an uncomfortable realization: This “humanistic ballet” and “great literature” had produced real rapists and war criminals. Yet the inertia of thought still leads many in Hollywood to separate Putin from Russian culture, failing to understand that Russian culture itself has been and remains the principal source of legitimacy for Russian imperialism. Our task as producers is not simply to call for a boycott, although that is critically necessary, but to decolonize the Western perspective. We must offer our own distinctive, profound, and competitive content that proves one thing: The center of European culture today is in Kyiv, not Moscow. “War Through the Eyes of Animals” explores the humanitarian and environmental consequences of war through the eyes of different living creatures. What inspired you to create this particular cinematic testimony to Russian aggression? The impulse came from a universal code that we did not invent but that can break through the “wall of war fatigue” around Ukraine that has formed across the world. During a major war, the information space becomes saturated with images of violence, destruction, and human suffering. Unfortunately, the human psyche has defense mechanisms: Over time, Western audiences subconsciously shut themselves off from other people’s pain to preserve their own peace of mind. Animals in this war are utterly defenseless witnesses and victims. They have no political convictions, do not take up arms, and cannot call for help. They are the ultimate metaphor for innocence. When we show the tragedy of this war through the eyes of a dog, a goat, or an eagle, we reach straight into the heart of any person, regardless of whether they live in New York, Tokyo, or Paris. “War Through the Eyes of Animals” is an anthology film that shifts Ukrainian trauma from a narrow geopolitical context into the realm of a global environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. It is testimony that hostile propaganda cannot refute. The world premiere of “War Through the Eyes of Animals” took place at the Tribeca Festival in the US last year, while its Ukrainian premiere was held at the Odesa International Film Festival on World Animal Day. Based on your observations, how have Western and Ukrainian audiences responded to the meanings the filmmakers sought to convey? The reactions differ greatly in emotional intensity, but they are equally profound in substance. For Western audiences, particularly at Tribeca, the film was a genuine cultural and psychological shock. It showed them that war destroys not only infrastructure but also the biosphere, ecosystems, and humanity itself. Through this film, Western viewers experienced guilt and a powerful sense of empathy, connecting with our pain through their own love of animals. For Ukrainian audiences, the film became a form of therapy and a mirror reflecting their own dignity. In Ukraine, compassion for animals on the front lines and in de-occupied cities remains one of the key markers of our civilizational difference from the enemy. Our soldiers rescue kittens from shelling and lead horses and wild animals to safety. For Ukrainians, “War Through the Eyes of Animals” affirms our moral superiority and our love of life. Poster of the War Through the Eyes of Animals The world has grown accustomed to seeing Ukraine through the lens of war. What Ukrainian stories should reach international screens next to change that perception? The world must see Ukraine not as a “victim,” but as a country of brave, progressive, and talented people. We need to move beyond documenting trauma alone. The next wave of Ukrainian cinema must offer the world: Universal genre stories with a distinct national identity – high-quality psychological thrillers, historical dramas, and intellectually ambitious mainstream cinema; stories of our transformation – about people who, amid the greatest catastrophe of the 21st century, are building new institutions, developing technologies, rethinking ethics, and changing the world; and a profound reexamination of our heritage – stories about our avant-garde figures, from artists to military leaders and philosophers, that demonstrate that Ukraine has always been part of European modernism. We must stop asking the world for empathy. We must give the world cinema that inspires admiration, respect, and intellectual curiosity. You have worked with Kira Muratova, Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, and other exceptional directors. What still prevents Ukrainian cinema from claiming its rightful place in the global market? Working with true artists makes one thing clear: We have never lacked talent or originality of vision. Muratova represents the absolute avant-garde of world cinema, while Slaboshpytskyi made a film that transformed the global understanding of cinematic language. So what prevents us from becoming consistent players in the global market? The lack of a sustainable industry ecosystem. There is a systemic shortage of venture-style producing expertise: Cinema is an art, but the film industry is a tough business. There is a lack of consistent state policy and institutional continuity – the market cannot develop when the rules change every year and transparent competitive procedures are replaced by chaos. There is also isolation from private capital – our business community has yet to learn to view cinema as a tool for capitalization and national branding. Cinema is an industry. Without strong institutions, a transparent market, and international co-productions, even the most outstanding genius remains an isolated flash of brilliance rather than part of a system. What changes are needed for Ukrainian films to secure wider international distribution and more frequent Oscar nominations? We need a clear, pragmatic three-part strategy. International co-production as the standard: Ukrainian films should not be developed in an “internal bubble.” From the idea stage onward, we must bring in European and American partners, funds, and international sales agents. This immediately provides a guarantee of distribution in foreign markets. Aggressive, professional promotion – Oscar campaigns: Making an Oscar shortlist or receiving a nomination is not a lottery. It requires a costly, mathematically calculated marketing and PR campaign in the US. The state and private businesses must pool resources to finance these promotional tours and screenings. Quality standards and market discipline: We must abandon our tendency to be lenient with ourselves. Our products must meet the highest international standards in screenwriting, sound design, and special effects. What are your plans and ambitions for the near future? My main strategic goal is to transform Ukrainian cinema from a film culture known for festival successes into a globally operating industry. As for specific projects, they include a cinematic tribute to Kira Muratova, a major documentary project, and two historical films. We must create cinema that does more than document the past or trauma – it must shape the image of a victorious, strong, and modern Ukraine of the future.