NIGHT SHIFT, 29min,. Ukraine
Directed by Megumi Lim
In the still hours of Kharkiv's curfewed nights, a quiet resilience hums through its empty streets. Night Shift is a short film about people who work under the cover of darkness, navigating both routine and risk as Russia often attacks when residents try to sleep. Those who stay awake to work do so for the city's survival. The film explores how nighttime in Ukraine's second largest city has transformed because of war, its nightly hope that dawn will arrive quietly, and the human need to carry on.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I've been living in Ukraine since 2023, and that means just like many other Ukrainians, I've been living with curfew. People are prohibited from going outside after a certain time at night (the time varies depending on which region of Ukraine you live in). I think this is a forgotten or an unknown fact for people living outside of Ukraine, even if most know about the ongoing war.

During the earlier days of Russia's invasion, night time was much more tense and scary- there was a greater sense of panic and fear - but after more than three years of war things have relaxed a little, although attacks have continued. Among many reasons, curfew is there to help air defense units move around more freely whenever there are attacks, it makes it easier for them to listen out for the deadly Shahed drones (which sound like mopeds) that swarm cities, and it also allows police to identify suspicious activity at night more easily. Talking about just these elements already show that nighttime has changed drastically because of war.

But as Russia's invasion enters its fourth year, so many of those transformations have become a part of daily life and some aspects of it routine, even. I wanted to convey the absurdity of that, and to capture those mundane moments that play out even as the country continues its fight.

And because people are not allowed outside during curfew, I felt it was important to document even a snapshot of what nighttime looked like in a frontline city in Ukraine at this moment in history.

Also, before making this doc, I watched a few of Aki Kaurismaki's films, and the protagonist was always someone in a blue-collared job - security guards, garbage collectors etc. - and I wanted to do a similar thing.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I began thinking about this idea around December 2024, when I had just quit my job covering news for broadcast clients to transition into documentary filmmaking. I told my co-director and producer Marian Prysiazhniuk about the idea and he loved it, and he started setting up access first to embed with police patrol. We initially thought of making the film in Kyiv, but we got a hard no from the authorities. They said there were things we simply were not allowed to know about or see at night. They suggested Kharkiv, which is Ukraine's second largest city, and located close to the frontlines and the Russian border. We started filming in the beginning of March, and finished the film in July.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Eerie but hopeful

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

There were many moments that I wished I had captured but couldn't because I don't live in Kharkiv. I was also the only cinematographer so when the city came under a massive attack, I was in one place (in this instance, the gas station) but wished I could have captured what was happening at the pharmacy, or at the fire station, or other places I had featured in the film. My obsession with this made me want to keep going back, but I knew that even if I was at the right place at the right time (in terms of capturing an attack unfold while on site), my pharmacy protagonist for example, may not be on shift that night. I had to let go of these things and make myself finish the film at some point.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was nervous because this was the first time the film received feedback from a non-Ukrainian audience. This film has so far premiered at the Kyiv International Short Film Festival. I was glad to hear that the audience appreciated how this specific war story was framed, and understood the juxtaposition between mundane and danger. It was also great to get feedback on the cinematography which was a challenge as almost the entire film was shot in low light, at night. Night Shift will travel to Berlin next, and I'm looking forward to getting more feedback outside of Ukraine.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I've been wanting to make films for a long time. I have felt a mismatch with the medium I was working with when I was in the TV news industry - I had to present the news in a nutshell, basically, condense the information into 2-3 minute video edits. These reports are important and do help to inform the audience, but I wanted to lean deeper into a kind of storytelling that lingered on something more abstract or not necessarily pegged to the latest news. I wanted to be able to create something more cinematic, which, often with news, you don't have the luxury of time to do that.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Legally Blonde

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Filmmaking costs a lot of money, especially when you are just starting out and have no prior work to prove your track record, so it's of course harder to get grants or funding. I think one of the biggest obstacles for filmmakers to keep making film is the lack of budget. Festivals should introduce grant or funding opportunities even more, beyond the networking events, and to also connect promising filmmakers to useful contacts.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

It has been amazing. It's such a great platform to stay organized and have everything in one place.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I love a good bowl of spicy Sichuan tan tan noodles.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes, I'm working on my next film.