Between Two Skies: Director-Editor Serhii Kerkez Allows Testimony to Guide - MovieMaker Magazine

      A documentary characterized by restraint

      Between Two Skies is an independently created documentary directed and edited by Serhii Kerkez, focusing on Ukrainians as they rebuild their lives after being displaced and losing their homes. The film is organized around personal interviews and archival footage to delve into themes of occupation, adaptation, identity, and the emotional journey of living in the space between their former homes and a new country. Key figures include a man who experienced the events in Bucha, a mother who risked everything for her children's safety, and young Ukrainians grappling with a new culture while maintaining connections to their homeland.

      The film made its debut on December 8, 2025, at a Dolby Cinema in New York and has been screened in community events in Staten Island, Boston, and Salt Lake City. The New York screening helped raise $830 for the Sunflower of Peace foundation.

      Editing choices: allowing participants to express themselves

      Kerkez, serving as both director and editor, approached the film with the intention that the camera should not overshadow the testimonies. He employed a restrained visual style—utilizing natural light, careful observational framing, and editing that highlights pauses and inflections—to maintain the authenticity of each speaker's narrative. Instead of creating a singular, synthesized story for them, Kerkez structured each segment to allow participants to articulate their own experiences in their own terms.

      “It was important for me not to speak on behalf of the protagonists but to provide them space to share their own stories,” Serhii stated in a previous interview with Vilni Media.

      This restraint also shapes the film's representation of displacement. Instead of portraying participants as mere archetypical victims, the film highlights the complexities of their situations: the choices they make, the small acts of rebuilding, and the varied, often conflicting emotions of residing between two locations. The editorial choices—what to keep, when to cut, how long to pause—serve to uphold the autonomy of those depicted on screen. In multiple interviews, Serhii opted to preserve pauses and moments of uncertainty rather than editing every response tightly, allowing the emotional weight of the speaker’s memories to remain evident.

      From commercial craft to documentary observation

      Kerkez’s expertise in editing, motion design, and visual communication is apparent throughout the film, but it also posed a professional challenge. With over a decade of experience in art direction and video production for international forums in Kyiv as well as national educational media, he currently works as a Video Editor for a New York-based AI video company. His background in commercial and design-oriented practices emphasizes control: precise timing, dynamic graphics, and a strong audience awareness.

      Documentary filmmaking required him to harness those technical abilities while consciously taking a step back. Whereas commercial narratives often dictate a viewer's emotional journey, the editing of Between Two Skies needed to remain aligned with the real experiences of the individuals involved. While his motion design instincts are evident in title sequences, transitions, and archival overlays, they do not dominate the film's observational essence. The outcome is a documentary where craftsmanship enhances attentiveness rather than creating a spectacle.

      Watch the trailer:

      

      Screenings, collaboration, and future plans

      The film, produced independently, has been showcased in community venues and independently organized screenings that emphasize dialogue between participants and audiences. The creative team continues to present the film through community partners and is open to partnership inquiries from cultural organizations and screening venues interested in public showings, panel discussions, or educational events. These inquiries will help shape future presentations and opportunities for community involvement.

      Kerkez’s work on Between Two Skies exemplifies the balance of skill and humility: utilizing the visual and editing techniques developed in commercial settings to create space for personal narratives, while resisting the urge to speak on behalf of the individuals whose lives the film documents. The film’s thoughtful, observational approach illustrates how documentary practice can address displacement with dignity and nuance rather than oversimplifying it.

      Serhii Kerkez, left, with members of the Between Two Skies team after the New York premiere on December 8, 2025. Photo: Lana Brooks.