Nikita lives in Kyiv with his boyfriend Serhii. On his birthday, Nikita argues with his religious mother on the phone because of the crucifix necklace that she sent him from the Kharkiv region. The next day, February 24, 2022, he realises that he cannot reach her on the phone.
Vadim Mochalov entered the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts in 2019. During his studies, he created 10 short films, including the screen adaptation of Lina Kostenko's poem "Don't Put Your Hand on My Shoulder", a documentary about the LGBTQ+ community of Ukraine, HANDS, and others. In 2023, Vadym’s graduation film, THE RETURN, is about the life of a queer guy with religious trauma during the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
