Dixie Land

Semyon Ryvkin founded the children's brass band Dixieland after his return home from the Second World War. He found kids on the streets of Kherson, a city in the south of Ukraine, and taught them how to play jazz. The band comprises keen young musicians from a drummer to a keyboardist. The film is dedicated to Ryvkin's memory. The story focuses on the daily lives of talented young musicians. The children get to - or have to - travel by marshrutka or train and work hard to become masters at their instruments. Furthermore, the film also depicts, in a way both stark and beautiful, their homeland of Ukraine, where talent can be the key to success. However, achieving that goal also requires dedication and sacrifice, such as having to move away from your home and family in order to get the best possible music education.

The film focuses on the lives and families of contemplative trumpet player Roma and the playful Polina, who plays saxophone. A particular comment by Roma says a lot about him and his new school: "Each day is the same, but no one said that this was going to be fun. Everyone here has gone through the same thing." For her part, Polina thinks that she might not want to be a professional musician after all, but become an actor instead. The film shows how music - or any hobby that brings people and the things they are passionate about together - can help create something valuable and beautiful in a stark and uncertain environment. But what happens to the children once their mentor is gone? (Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival)