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The Journey of Creating TWO BREATHS

TWO BREATHS, directed by Kateryna Kurganska, is one of the most ambitious and groundbreaking short films ever produced in Hawai’i. The film is a passion project and a dream many years in the making that has the “creative DNA” of nearly 200 different people. This article contains a full timeline of the creative process of the film as well as insightful anecdotes from various points in that process shared by Kateryna (Writer, Director, and more) and Timur (Cinematographer, Husband, and more) from the initial seeds of inspiration, through production, all the way to the “homecoming” screening at the  Hawai’i International Film Festival.

The Timeline of TWO BREATHS

Phases and Dates

  1. Writing and Idea Development: 2019 – 2022 
  2. Pre-Production and Location Scouting: August 2022 
  3. Casting: August 2022 – December 2022 
  4. Active Pre-Production: January – March 2023 
  5. Principal Photography: March 2023 
  6. First Round of Post-Production: May 2023 
  7. Pickups: July 2023 
  8. Post-Production: September 2023 – April 2024 
  9. Screening for Cast and Crew: May 9th, 2024 
  10. Festival Circuit: May 2023 – December 2025 (approximately)
    • Hawai’i International Film Festival: October 7th & 9th 2024 Oahu, Nov 2nd & 10th Big Island 

The Journey of TWO BREATHS

The Path Toward Filmmaking 

KATERYNA: I’ve been dreaming of making films since I was probably three years old. When adults would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I always answered, “Disney!” Of course, I didn’t realize Disney was a person, not a profession—I just knew I wanted to create the cartoons I loved watching. As I grew older, I realized it wasn’t just animation that captivated me but the magic of movies as a whole. The idea of creating entire new worlds where you can be anyone—that’s what truly inspired me and became my passion, my purpose. Then I discovered Hayao Miyazaki, who inspired me even more to tell untold stories in a poetic and uniquely “weird” way (in all the best senses). 

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as I initially dreamed. Instead of pursuing films, I ended up working as a commercial producer and photographer for quite a while, while also hustling on the side as a catering server. Photography definitely fulfilled my creative side, but I still wanted more. During COVID, I lost my jobs and wasn’t sure what to do with my life, so I finally decided to apply to film school — and I got accepted into USC’s MFA Film and TV Production Program.

Inspirations Behind The Story – 2018 to 2022 

KATERYNA: TWO BREATHS was quite a journey, beginning long before my formal filmmaking adventure. The first idea for TWO BREATHS probably came to me around 2018, maybe even earlier. Initially, it was just an idea about a girl and a deer. 

The girl was left alone in Chernobyl and found a friend there. It was just a concept, not a script. But after my first visit to Hilo in 2019, I decided to change the setting and place the story in Hawai’i. 

Hilo absolutely stole my heart; call me crazy, but there’s something truly special about this town. Its energy — I feel it in my legs, in the land. It’s a magical place. There’s also a huge mural in the style of Hayao Miyazaki on the streets of Hilo, depicting a girl in the ocean with a boat behind her, this also served as an inspiration. (Yoskay Yamamoto. Temple Children 2016. Hilo, Hawaii.) 

I’d also like to share why Hawai’i. I am not Hawaiian — I was born in eastern Ukraine, in the deeply affected city of Luhansk, which was completely erased from the earth by bombs and is now a new city under the occupation of another country. 

Hawai’i was the first state to host me as a refugee in the U.S. 

It was essentially where I was placed through my immigration process. Despite the pain and loss I had experienced, Hawai’i kept my heart open. It welcomed me with warmth and kindness, offering me a new beginning, a community, and a family. 

I really met the best people in the universe in Hawai’i. 

TWO BREATHS is a universal story set on a fictional world/island. It’s an adventure-drama that draws from my own experiences and the challenges I have overcome. As someone who left her country at a young age, I resonate deeply with Ava, the film’s young protagonist, who must confront her own struggles to move forward through the pain. 

The film explores how home remains an integral part of one’s identity, a part that is never truly left behind. 

The story is universal because everyone resonates with the word “home.” 

But also, think of this . . . while you’re reading this, bombs are falling somewhere else in the world. So I guess what I am trying to say is to look at Ava and don’t let your loved ones ever be in this situation. The important underlying message of TWO BREATHS is that humans must live in harmony with nature for a sustainable future. After being held hostage and witnessing cruel wars and human-made losses with my own eyes, I can only wish people would be less destructive and think more about how to take better care of each other and our beautiful world – our home. 

Writing and Developing the Idea – Early 2022 

KATERYNA: Returning to the process of creating TWO BREATHS: The first step was writing and finding allies who would support the story simply because they believed in it, as I had no budget (like absolutely zero money). 

Myka Arakawa and Kurt Chambers were the first two people I met who supported me as a director on this journey. Kurt absolutely believed we could handle all the underwater scenes, which gave me the confidence to write all the water stunt sequences into the script. Myka and I spent days brainstorming in the lobby of the Pink Hotel (The Royal Hawaiian) in Waikiki, fueled by macadamia nut lattes and lots of fun laughs. 

And so, the adventure began. 

MYKA: I want to share one special memory that I have from one of these brainstorming sessions. Katya was thinking out loud, free-associating ideas about whether or not to include a soccer ball in a scene to show Ava’s desire to play and her longing for friends. 

As she was discussing this idea, behind her, there was a family walking by with a child kicking and juggling a soccer ball. From my point of view, I saw Katya brainstorming about whether or not to include that element – and right next to her, there was an actual child in real life kicking a soccer ball. 

I laughed and she was like, “what are you laughing at?” so I told her to turn around. She laughed and we both kind of agreed that it was the universe telling us to go with that idea.

Location of the writing sesh at the “Pink Hotel” - March 12, 2022

Building The Team 

KATERYNA: Throughout 2022, more and more people jumped on board to bring TWO BREATHS to life. In the summer of that year, my friend and classmate at the time, Timur, joined as my co-producer and cinematographer. He also helped shape the dialogue. 

Oh, and along the way, Timur and I got married—but that’s a whole other story, haha. 

The real pre-production kicked off in August 2022, when Timur and I flew to the Big Island for a month of location scouting. 

Now, it was finally happening! We were piecing together the puzzle of Ava’s world, hunting for the perfect spots to bring her story to life.

Location Scouting: Collaboration and Luck – August 2022 

TIMUR: With a tight budget, finding locations was a challenge. 

We spent weeks searching for Ava’s house without much luck. Then, one day, we were driving down an unpaved country road and spotted a beautiful, lone house on a hill surrounded by jungle. Out of the blue, Katya said, ‘This could be Ava’s house. Let’s talk to the owner.’ 

I was hesitant, but she knocked on the door, and Rick Muller (Henry Muller) opened it and invited us in. We told him we were students making a film, and to our surprise, he immediately offered his place for us to shoot. 

His generosity blew us away with optimism and kindness. 

Later on, we found the perfect spot for Ava’s home in a lovely property owned by a kind woman named Linda. But we still needed a place to stay and a base for pre-production, so we reached out to Rick again. 

He told us we could use his house while he was away, and he even let some of our crew stay there during filming. It was incredible to meet such kind, openhearted people. Rick and Linda played such a huge part in helping us get this production off the ground, and we’re beyond grateful for their generosity. 

A Big Hurdle – November 2022 

KATERYNA: By the time my semester began at USC in September 2022, I already had an incredible team of mentors and classmates excited to jump in. 

A huge shoutout to Dalton Lu and Yo Chang, who were absolute rockstars, supporting me from day one of pre-production through to the final cut. And, of course, a heartfelt thank you to Professor Robert Townsend, who guided and prepared me as a director every step of the way. 

But just as everything seemed to be running smoothly, November rolled around, and we faced a big hurdle: we couldn’t find the right cast for the story. Despite receiving hundreds of self-tapes, none of them felt like my vision of Ava or Grandpa. So, we decided to take a bold step and hold an open casting call on the Big Island just before Christmas in December 2022.

Precision Casting: Finding Ava – December 2022 

TIMUR: Casting for the film was an adventure in itself. We first searched for Ava in Los Angeles, going through over five hundred Zoom auditions and another couple hundred in-person at USC. 

There were many talented actresses, but none quite had that island-child spirit we needed for Ava — someone who could feel at home climbing through jungles, swimming with manta rays, and surviving on her own. So, we did it old-school: we printed hundreds of audition fliers, flew to the Big Island, and started handing them out at grocery stores, restaurants, and even to parents on the street.

TIMUR: Thankfully, more than a hundred people showed up for the audition. 

By halfway through the day, we still hadn’t found our Ava — until Maya walked in with her mom. I was filming the audition as Katya worked with her on a scene, and we both knew immediately: she was our Ava. 

Though there were other strong auditions, Maya just had that magic. 

A Perfect Match: Finding Romeo 

TIMUR: Finding Romeo was another stroke of luck. We were down to the wire, originally looking for someone to play Ava’s father, but we hadn’t found the right fit — someone who felt like family to Ava and had the right chemistry. 

Then we met Romeo over Zoom. 

His calm presence, strong voice, and warm energy caught our attention, so we brought him in for an in-person read with Maya. When he showed up — a towering presence with a quiet strength — it was clear he belonged on the screen. He also told us he’d worked in education his whole life, dedicated to helping kids, which made him perfect for this role. 

Interestingly enough, he even shaved for the Zoom call to look younger but arrived in-person with a beard, which we actually ended up loving. That’s when we reimagined the character as Ava’s grandfather, and it brought a beautiful, sentimental touch to their relationship that felt so right. 

Underwater Preparation – January and February 2023 

KATERYNA: As soon as we found Maia, we knew we needed to start preparing her underwater skills right away. 

(This was already late December 2022, with principal photography scheduled to begin in mid-March 2023) 

In January and February 2023, Kurt and Maia began swimming, diving, and breath-holding lessons. Kurt, a freediving champion and professional instructor from the Big Island, dedicated himself to ensuring Maia’s safety while also making sure she had fun during the underwater scenes on set. 

The result? 

Maia absolutely loved Kurt’s lessons and we achieved exactly what we aimed for—a safe, fun, and playful environment for a child actor. 

Massive thanks and shoutout to our underwater safety team, who made everything so smooth and beautifully shot.

Sava Mankovsky and Sharmaine Magsipoc, you are the best, and this wouldn’t have happened without you. Sharmaine was also Maia’s stunt-double for underwater scenes. 

Finding RICARDO NASCIMENTO 

TIMUR: Neither of us had any experience with underwater filming or diving, and hiring a professional underwater cinematographer was tough due to budget and scheduling issues. 

Then, while scrolling through Instagram, Katya found Ricardo Nascimento, who flew all the way from Lisbon to film the water scenes!! 

Ricardo’s work was stunning. Not only was he a talented cinematographer, but he was also genuinely excited to help us bring this story to life. Although he was based in Portugal and had shot underwater all over the world, he had never filmed manta rays in Hawaii, so it was a new experience for him too. 

Ricardo was fantastic to work with and captured some breathtaking shots. While we were shooting on land in Hilo, he was usually on the other side of the island in Kona, tracking down manta rays. By the end of production, he’d filmed hours of underwater footage! 

We’re grateful to have worked with him – it added a whole new layer to the film.

Various Photos from Active Pre-Production

Reflecting on The BIGGEST POSSIBLE COLLABORATION EVER 

KATERYNA: The journey to create TWO BREATHS was a true labor of love and, quite honestly, a financial miracle! Many are surprised to learn that our entire budget was under $20,000, funded solely by what USC allowed me to borrow through FAFSA. The rest was made possible by the dedication and trust of an incredibly diverse team who believed in the story – and thankfully – in me as a director. 

I am forever grateful for this opportunity. 

The team’s commitment brought this vision to life in ways I had only dreamed possible. Imagine – almost 200 people joined this story! 

It truly took an island to make this movie happen. 

This one goes out to all the fairy godmothers and godfathers who said “yes” to us and guided us through an incredibly challenging filmmaking journey. 

Special thanks to Mark Bender and Nanlux Americas, and Wayne Schulman and Nanlite, for supporting both films with their incredible lighting equipment. We are deeply grateful to the Hawaii Media Inc. family for sponsoring us and helping solve the countless logistical challenges of shipping equipment from one Hawaiian island to another—it was quite an adventure! Enormous thanks to Otto Nemenz, Look Solutions, the Atlas Lens Co. team and Dan Kanes, and Sight & Sound Productions in Hawaii, who stood by our side throughout the production of TWO BREATHS

Our biggest challenges were VFX and final sound design, but once again, the kindest and most talented people opened their hearts to bring this story to life. Special thanks to Luma Pictures for their magical fern VFX shots. And we cannot express enough gratitude to Valerie Delahaye, Rusty Ippolito, Nick Brooks, Jamey Scott, and Shelley Roden. You are our greatest inspiration, and we thank you for everything. 

On The VFX Team 

TIMUR: Valerie and Rusty played an invaluable role in making TWO BREATHS possible. We knew from the start that our film would need high-quality visual effects to work; anything that looked cheap or out of place would hurt the story.

When we reached out to VFX artists, the cost estimates were way beyond our budget, even with discounts. We were stuck, not knowing where to turn, when Valerie and Rusty – who Katya had emailed months earlier – reached out. We arranged a Zoom meeting, and right from the start, they were so kind and supportive. 

Both Valerie and Rusty are legends in the VFX world, with credits on films like TITANIC, THE FIFTH ELEMENT, and AVATAR. They’ve collaborated with top directors like David Fincher, Michael Mann and James Cameron. They had relocated from Hollywood to the Big Island and they work from their studio there. 

They agreed not only to talk with us but, to our surprise, to help us for free because they believed in Katya and the story of TWO BREATHS. They guided us through the technical side of things, from shooting to post-production, and even introduced us to their Oscar-winning friend, Nick Brooks, who flew from London to join us on set. 

Katya likes to say they’re our secret weapon, but beyond that, they became our close friends — our filmmaking family. Meeting people you admire and who you enjoy working with on a deep, personal level, has been one of the most rewarding parts of this project. 

TWO BREATHS at HIFF - October 7th, 2024

Myka Arakawa is a creative rogue born and raised in Hawai’i, with a passion for storytelling and the creative process. He holds a deep curiosity for the true nature of creative expression and has explored modes such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, guitar, music production, graphic design, web design, cooking, and jiu jitsu. Myka believes in the power of creative work as a positive sum solution that can change the world, for the better for forever, and for everyone. His mission is to capture, preserve, and further the culture of his home.

The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai’i through mentorship and paid career opportunities for Hawai’i-based AANHPI critics. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities. The 2024 HOCCI is supported by Critical Minded, a grant-making and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.

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