Mavka Synopsis
Two girls go swimming in the lake. Along the way, they speak about their everyday life as young women and problems of adulthood. Swimming in the lake promises nothing special until one of the girls meets Mavka – a mysterious creature from Ukrainian legends.
Mavka is the 2021 winner of the Women’s Voices Now Film Festival for “Best Youth Film”.
About the Filmmaker
Alona Shylova is a screenwriter and director from Ukraine, Kyiv.
More from the Filmmaker
“The story in this film reflected a lot of my personal experience as a young female in our society and all the discrimination girls are going through during the coming-of-age period. One of the main ideas was to show that oppression didn’t change much from the past (when it used to be direct physical violence and now its form is getting more psychological).”
– Alona Shylova, Director and Writer
