From Intern to Filmmaker: Oleksandra Kozlova on the Making of Minding Shadows
- So Fare Films
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
A Story That Begins with an Email
Last Spring, we received an email that reminded us exactly why So Fare Films exists.
A talented young filmmaker from Ukraine, Oleksandra “Sasha” Kozlova, had just arrived in Rome and was looking for a way into the film industry. She had taken our Crowdfunding for Indie Filmmakers e-Course on Udemy and reached out to ask if there might be a place for her in the So Fare Films Emerging Creators Network.
Our answer was immediate: yes!
With a background in sociology, journalism, and media studies—and experience spanning research, storytelling, and digital media—Sasha brought both intellectual depth and creative instinct to the team.
A New Voice Behind the Camera
It is our great pleasure to share Sasha’s behind-the-scenes documentary (a work in progress):
This piece offers a reflective look inside the making of Minding Shadows, our feature documentary currently in production
The Ethical Tension at the Heart of the Film
Sasha’s film centers on one of the core dilemmas of documentary storytelling:
How does a filmmaker balance professional, observational distance with the human impulse to respond when a subject’s life becomes uncertain, vulnerable, or at risk?
In following this question, the piece turns inward—examining the role of the director (Jenn Lindsay) not just as a storyteller, but as a participant in an unfolding reality that resists clean boundaries between observer and subject.
Documentary as Reflection
What emerges is something deeply thoughtful:a meditation on the ethics of documentary filmmaking, and on the evolving relationship between storyteller and protagonist.
Rather than offering simple answers, the film embraces complexity—inviting viewers to sit with the tensions that define real-world storytelling.
Learning Through Sharing
Sasha is sharing this work before it is finished—as part of her own creative and professional development, and as a reflection of the So Fare Films educational mission.
At its core, this piece is not just about Minding Shadows. It is about what it means to learn by doing—to enter the filmmaking process not with certainty, but with curiosity, humility, and care.
Not the polished final product, but the questions, relationships, and ethical considerations that shape a film as it comes into being.
And in doing so, it offers a glimpse into the kind of storytelling practice we strive to cultivate at So Fare Films.
An Invitation to Watch and to Listen
We hope you enjoyed this taste of the So Fare Films educational mission for emerging mediamakers! Whether you can pledge financial backing or not, we want you to be part of this story. Please watch the Minding Shadows pitch video below!
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