The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul

Six girls at an audition, all dressed in the same sequinned dresses. They reveal what their biggest dream is, where they come from, and when they last cried. These girls have come here from all corners of the country; some have attended acting or modelling courses. They are all auditioning for the role of a former idol: Oksana Baiul. In 1994, when she was sixteen, this figure skater won Ukraine’s first Olympic gold medal. She was the face of a young nation that had recently gained independence; her tears of joy were unforgettable.
The young girls at the audition also shed tears. Some are for show but others are real, for some, not all, have dark days behind them. What has become of the hopes of the past twenty years? The filmmaker’s idea – to create a film solely from these screen tests without any additional commentary – is convincing. The result is a multi-layered exploration of female role models and social change in a conflicted country.