Over 170k subscribers
Decentralized Pictures runs on a simple idea: let the film community decide who deserves support. Rather than a small panel of gatekeepers, it's the DCP Community itself that reviews submissions and has the final say on who receives funding, currently a Filmmaker Assistance $1,500 grant that filmmakers can put towards anything, though the hope is always that it goes back into their art.
For independent filmmakers like Yaroslava, this kind of community driven recognition offers something rare: real validation from people who understand the craft, alongside funding that can be the difference between a passion project stalling out and actually reaching the screen.
We're thrilled to share an inside look at "Oh, Gran!" ("Ну, ба!"), a bold new film set in 1990s Ukraine that blends dark crime, absurd comedy, and raw family drama in a way you won't see coming. The story follows a hardened young gangster tasked with smuggling contraband human organs across the border, only for her fiercely loving grandmother to turn the whole mission upside down (quite literally cooking the evidence into cutlets).
Beneath the chaos is something much more tender: a story about grief, unconditional love, and the fear of leaving things unsaid before it's too late. We sat down with writer and director Yaroslava Velychko to talk about where this story came from, what she hopes audiences take away from it, and what recent recognition from Decentralized Pictures has meant for the project. Here's what she shared.
What first inspired this story?
The idea came to Yaroslava spontaneously six years ago, during her third year studying directing, when an assignment called for a comedy. She never developed it further at the time because the full scale invasion of Ukraine began, and comedy no longer felt appropriate. Later, after losing both of her grandmothers to illness while living far from home in the Czech Republic, she found herself unable to film anything at all. When she was finally ready to create again, the only story she wanted to tell was about her relationship with her grandmothers. Given how much tragedy already surrounds daily life, she didn't want to tell this story through pure drama. Dark comedy, the genre she'd originally imagined it in, felt like the right way to communicate something difficult in a lighter, more human way.
Sasha and her grandmother share a unique and unforgettable relationship. What does she hope audiences take away from their journey together?
Yaroslava hopes viewers walk away thinking about their own grandparents and parents, and recognizing that these are often the people most ready to offer unconditional love, even when it's hard to accept because of generational gaps or old resentments. For her, the film is about finding a way to connect with the people you didn't choose but were given at birth, the ones who, paradoxically, are the ones you can rely on most.
The story explores grief, love, and the fear of leaving important things unsaid. Why was this theme especially meaningful for you to explore?
This theme comes directly from Yaroslava's own life. She never told her grandmothers she loved them while she had the chance, having believed at the time that love was shown through actions alone and didn't need to be said aloud. Now she understands how essential it is for people to actually hear those words, and that's the urgency she wanted to capture in the film.
How has receiving this recognition from Decentralized Pictures impacted the project?
Given how personal and, in her words, controversial the story's premise is, Yaroslava was uncertain how audiences would respond. The recognition from Decentralized Pictures gave her confidence that the story resonates, both with audiences and with industry professionals. She read every comment left on the review page and found each one valuable. Beyond the exposure, even modest funding makes a real difference for an independent passion project like this one. She's hopeful this recognition helps the film find its way to larger festivals and, ultimately, to an audience.
Finally, what advice would you give to fellow filmmakers currently developing their own projects?
Yaroslava's advice is simple: find your people, and once you do, hold on to them tightly. She also encourages fellow filmmakers to nurture the courage to bring their wildest ideas to life and never doubt their vision, echoing the words of Ukrainian writer Ivan Bahrianyi: "The brave always have luck on their side."
"Oh, Gran!" is a film about the messy, absurd, and deeply human ways we hold onto the people we love, and what happens when we wait too long to say what matters. Yaroslava Velychko's personal journey, from a shelved comedy assignment to a story shaped by real loss, gives this project a rare emotional honesty beneath its dark humor. We're excited to keep following "Oh, Gran!" as it makes its way toward festivals and audiences, and we can't wait to share more updates soon.
Link to "Oh, Gran!" project at Decentralized Pictures: https://app.decentralized.pictures/project/6a11e333fde507ae320ebf62
For more great indie film content follow us on socials:
Discord: https://discord.gg/vTuYvSuCsm
Fatima H. Dia
