Iryna Tsilyk

Iryna Tsilyk
Ірина Цілик
Born (1982-11-18) 18 November 1982 (age 42)
Kyiv, Ukraine
NationalityUkrainian
Alma materKyiv National University of Theatre, Cinematography and Television named by Ivan Karpenko-Kary
Occupation(s)writer and film director
SpouseArtem Chekh

Iryna Tsilyk (Ukrainian: Ірина Цілик; born 18 November 1982) is a Ukrainian filmmaker and writer, the member of European Film Academy, Ukrainian PEN International. The winner of the “Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary” for the film "The Earth Is Blue as an Orange" at 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Biography and career

Iryna Tsilyk was born in Kyiv. Graduated from Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinematography and Television named by Ivan Karpenko-Kary summa cum laude. Now Iryna works as film director and screenwriter and mostly known for the award-winning "The Earth Is Blue as an Orange", "Rock, Paper, Grenade", "Invisible Battalion" projects.

Moreover, Tsilyk is the author of several books (poetry, prose, children's books). Some of her works have been translated into English, German, French, Polish, Lithuanian, Czech, Romanian, Catalan, Swedish, Greek, Italian, Danish; were presented at various international literary festivals and events, such as Zebra poetry film festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival, Poesiefestival Berlin, Vilenica International literary festival, book fairs in Prague, Vienna, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Vilnius and others.

In November 2020 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded Tsilyk the title Merited Artist of Ukraine.[1] She refused the honour claiming she was "just starting my career in film directing" and she consider it "inappropriate to accept such awards with a light heart in times of uncertainty, when many of my colleagues from the film community were offended by the unjust actions of the current government."[1] A few days later the decree that awarded Tsilyk the title disappeared from the official website of the Office of the President of Ukraine.[1]

Iryna Tsilyk is based in Kyiv together with her family. At the moment, Iryna's husband and writer Artem Chekh is serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Iryna and their son Andrii (born in 2010) stay in Kyiv.[citation needed]

Films

Publications

Poetry

  • Depth of Field (Глибина різкості; collection of poems), 2016.
  • Qi (Ці; collection of poems), 2007.

Prose

  • Red Marks on Black (Червоні на чорному сліди; short story collection), 2015.
  • Birthmarks (Родимки; short story collection), 2013.
  • The Day After Yesterday (Післявчора; novel), 2008.

Children's books

  • The City-tale of One’s Friendship (МІСТОрія однієї дружби; children’s adventure novel), 2016.
  • Such an interesting life (Таке цікаве життя; children’s book), 2015.

References

  1. ^ a b c (in Ukrainian) The decree on the awards of Vasyanovych and Tsilyk, who refused the awards, disappeared from the website of the President's Office, Ukrayinska Pravda (12 November 2020)