CHRYSANTHEMUM DAY

original fiction feature film / 90' / Ukraine, Netherlands

The story starts in a parallel reality, when the first unexpected nuclear explosion impacts vast territories, releasing a powerful wave of radiation that has destroyed everything for hundreds of kilometers. When the devastated area was examined, a small unaffected plot of land, surrounded by white fog was found. A few meters above the ground, in the center of a whirling ball of flowers, there was an immobile human, covered in flowers. Numerous chrysanthemum buds hung in the air and wrapped the surviving grass like a pulsating shield. The expedition found an old woman who was miraculously unharmed, although unresponsive.

The old woman was sent to the nearest rehabilitation center to receive treatment as soon as possible, together with the doctor who was to be in charge of her recovery process. Preliminary tests demonstrated that her memories of the world around her and her personality had vanished completely. The recovery took months. Archival documents showed that this woman cultivated chrysanthemums and was also known as a healer, mystically saving dozens of people from various diseases with her hands.

Having received a clear order to achieve results, the doctor restores her memory bit by bit. In the recovery process, it becomes clear that these memories can become unbearable for the old Healer. The doctor then realizes that if she dies there might be no future for humanity...

Director: Semen Mozgovyi

Simon Mozgovyi is a director and scriptwriter of the film. He studied Cinema and Television Arts at the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture (B.A.). After graduating in 2013, he went on to study an advanced-level course in dramaturgy in Kyiv, where he began acting at the DAKH Theatre (2013-2018). Now, he works as a freelance filmmaker. Simon’s documentary film The Winter Garden’s Tale (2018) premiered at Ji.hlava IDFF, and then participated in DOK Leipzig, Full Frame, Docudays UA, and others. His filmography includes the documentaries Salt from Bonneville (2021), and Orpheus Is Standing On The Bank Of The Styx (short, 2022). Now he works on his directorial feature fiction debut Chrysanthemum Day (2023, in progress) and collective documentary tryptich The Days I Would Like to Forget (2024-2026, in progress).

Selected filmography:

• 2018 – The Winter Garden’s Tale (documentary, 75 minutes)

• 2021 – Salt from Bonneville (documentary, 74 minutes)

Creative team:

• Producers: Oleksandr Chepiga, Artem Koliubaiev, Taras Bosak, Maksym Leshchenko

• Screenwriter: Semen Mozhovyi

• DOP: Denys Melnyk

• Composers: Roman Hryhoriv, Illia Razumeiko

• Cast: Dmytro Yaroshenko, Ihor Aronov, Roman Yasinovskyi, Mykyta Skomorokhov, Marychka Shtyrbulova