Reactions/Comments
Kseniyka Velikolug-Smith, writer, painter, performer
"I just watched Escape, a film by Oksana Mysina and John Freedman, where a terrible story resounds in its simplicity against the backdrop of a beatific sea shimmering in blue and yellow. War denies complexity and diversity. In war everything is simple and cruel. A mother escapes, saving her children and dog, passing through an entire tense and tormented country, and - oh Lord - escapes the snares of war. But her beloved husband remains behind, in hell. The heart aches. The soul is torn because part of it hovers near the person who must be saved. We demand peace. Down with the simplicity of war. The world is multicolored, like the reflections on the water in the sea."
Facebook post, November 16, 2023
Anna Rodionova, playwright
"Dear Oksana, dear John, thank you for your film. It is so special, reminding us of peaceful life before the war, while there is such a terrible truth in it. Everyone knows about the war, from the news, from the chronicles, even from the comments on Russian TV, which I don’t watch because it’s poison. And every day, every minute, people die. But in this film, a beautiful Ukrainian woman by the sea calmly and slowly speaks about what is most important - not only with words, but with some kind of holy spirit: “People, don’t do this!” And the sea agrees with her, as do the mountains, and the dog... this is the highest biblical meaning of our existence - we are here very briefly, and, in any case, we will leave. What will remain are the mountains, the sea and the sun. And here is this Madonna on a digital screen. She is PEACE herself. She herself is LIGHT. She herself is TRUTH."
Facebook post, November 16, 2023
Sergei Kokovkin, playwright & director
I bow before the clarity, depth and purity of truth. You are incredible, and honest artists! From the hearts of a family to the hearts of the world! Congratulations!
Facebook post, November 16, 2023