Production of the film 'It's Good Mom Doesn't Know' lasted eight years due to the war and the pandemic
Director Oleksandr Lytvynenko and producer Yevhenii Lytvynenko have completed work on the crime comedy 'It's Good Mom Doesn't Know', a project that spanned eight years in production. The film, which had a challenging budget of 8.7 million hryvnias, was created with state support, private resources, and personal investments. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Іванна Пашкевич), according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Over the course of eight years, the film crew faced a number of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, and the mobilization of crew members into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the creators, the production process was halted, and resumption became possible only in 2023 after reorganizing the team, whose members were located both in Ukraine and abroad.
Financial challenges and state support
Producer Yevhenii Lytvynenko noted that the initial budget of 8.7 million hryvnias proved to be small for the film industry, and the devaluation of the hryvnia complicated the process of maintaining actor fees. An attempt to raise $150,000 via the international Kickstarter platform did not yield the desired result, so the team had to negotiate with the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury to confirm the viability of state support for the project under wartime conditions.
An important condition for the creators was meeting financial obligations to the actors, who were paid their full fees without cuts. Additional difficulties arose when purchasing rights to use foreign music, which required approvals from the National Bank of Ukraine to conduct foreign currency transactions for paying international rights holders.
The impact of war and losses in the creative group
Work on the film was accompanied by personal tragedies: the deaths of Pasha Lee, Yurii Felipenko, and stuntman Kostiantyn Ahapov, who did not live to see the premiere. Oleksandr Lytvynenko recalled that the last time he spoke to Pasha Lee was when he was evacuating people from Irpin, and those memories remain some of the hardest for the team.
Regarding actor Kostiantyn Temliak, who played one of the leading roles, the creative team faced questions after he publicly admitted to committing violence in his personal life. Producer Yevhenii Lytvynenko emphasized that such actions are unacceptable and must be dealt with solely through legal channels, but refusing professional duties based on the actor’s personal scandals was not discussed, as the shooting process was already complete.
Locations and technical aspects of filming
Filming took place at 54 locations across Kyiv, some of which were damaged by Russian missile strikes. For example, the Toronto-Kyiv business center and objects near the Northern Bridge changed their appearance following enemy attacks, which is captured in certain frames of the film.
The team is currently working on a strategy for international distribution and release on online platforms. They are considering dubbing formats and organizing special screenings for the Ukrainian diaspora, which will help integrate the project into the global cultural context.
Photo: team of the film 'It's Good Mom Doesn't Know'
