The new week for Dynamo began with a special occasion. A gala screening of the film Interception Game took place at the Zhovten Cinema in Kyiv. One of the leading roles in the film was played by Dynamo midfielder Mykola Mykhailenko.
Main events of the film unfold during the 2024 Olympic Games when Mykhailenko represented Ukraine as part of the national Olympic football team while his brother Serhii supported him from the front lines as a commander of a mobile air defense fire unit. Film highlights the unique bond between the two brothers during the full-scale war.
Among those in attendance were Mykola Mykhailenko himself, the film’s director Volodymyr Mula and screenwriter Mykola Vasylkov. The screening was also attended by players from Dynamo’s first and youth teams along with their coaching staffs, club management and media representatives.
“For me this film is special because it contains pieces of my real life - exactly as it is. Nothing was added. It’s all authentic, - Mykhailenko shared. - The director tried to reveal those emotional family connections because this is something very close to many Ukrainian families - when someone lives and fulfills a mission in society, and someone else is fighting on the front line defending us. It’s a very real-life story.
Maybe the acting isn’t outstanding but the most important thing is the message - to encourage people to truly value family bonds“.
Dynamo head coach Ihor Kostiuk also emphasized the relevance of the topic:
“First of all it addresses a very important issue in our society. It’s the story of a family where someone lives in the rear while someone else serves at the front. It’s great that our Olympic team responded to this idea and that Mykola took part in the film. For him it was especially meaningful.”
Director Volodymyr Mula explained that the idea behind the film was to show, through the prism of war in Ukraine, a story of brotherhood and resilience.
“Sport attracts global attention and it was important for me to find a story that would allow me, through cinema, to tell the world about what is happening here in Ukraine. At that time we were in close contact with the coaching staff of the Olympic football team. They suggested we look at the Mykhailenko brothers. One of them was in a frontline city, they strongly supported each other and they looked natural on camera. Once we started talking we realized this could become a powerful and well-structured story”.
The heartfelt and sincere story of the Mykhailenko brothers left no one in the audience indifferent. After the screening the main protagonists were greeted with warm applause.
Interception Game is now available to watch in cinemas across Ukraine.
