DADDY’S LITTLE SCRATCH

Synopsis

For the first time, Slava spends a day with her father, Roman, who is home on leave from the war. They go to return an expensive carpet he bought for her, and Slava must navigate the distance that eight years of service have created between them.

Statement of the director

There is an idiom in Ukrainian – “parents’ little scratch” – which describes a child who is deeply cherished by their parents.
DADDY’S LITTLE SCRATCH is inspired by my own childhood experiences with my father. He was mobilised in 2016 and spent several years away, missing crucial years of his son’s life. Starting from that time, we struggled to find a way to communicate effectively. It wasn’t until this year –while working on this film – that I discovered something similar to what Slava finds at the end of the story. It’s something that allows you to see the whole person in front of you, not just their role as parent. It’s something that’s difficult to put into words.
The love parents feel for their children is not constant or unchanging; on the contrary, it evolves and transforms over time. Various life circumstances can influence or distort how this love is expressed – whether it's spending eight years fighting in a war, navigating adolescence, or enduring long periods of silence. This is the challenge faced by our characters. They are spending a day together, both trying to convey their love and care for one another, but the methods they once relied on are no longer effective. Slava and Roman must find new ways to express themselves.

Selected at

Lviv International Film Festival Wiz-Art