Ron Schildknecht - Mother, Protect Us

In the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an artist seeks solace in her work and her faith as she struggles to keep both her mother in Kharkiv safe and her daughter in Chicago at peace.

Digital video, 7 minutes, color

English, Ukrainian

KATERYNA TKACHENKO as DARIYA

Mother, Protect Us features Kateryna Tkachenko in the lead role of Dariya.

Kateryna studied at the Academy of Design and Art in Kharkiv (Ukraine), as well as at two theatre studios: Black square (Cherniy Kvadrat) and Habitat ( Seredovyshe Buttya), Ukraine. She was the art director for Perekotypole (Tumbleweed), a movie directed by Ivan Sergienko.

Kateryna helped her parents escape Ukraine after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war and still has other family members and close friends remaining in Kharkiv.

Kateryna was part of the creative team serving as script consultant as well as the key translator.

Kateryna Tkachenko

YEVA WILD as MARINA

Born in the Luhansk region in Eastern Ukraine, Yeva loves acting, filmmaking, reading, and playing violin. In 2014, Yeva and her family fled to Western Ukraine, then to the United States due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Here she studies acting and organizes Ukrainian protests in Chicago.

Yeva studies Film and Theatre studies at Columbia University in New York. Yeva's grandparents are still in the Eastern part of Ukraine living under occupation.

Yeva Wild

WRITTEN and DIRECTED by RON SCHILDKNECHT

Ron Schildknecht is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor working in Louisville, Kentucky and Chicago, Illinois. Working in both dramatic and documentary form, his work, including The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster, My Porcelain Past, Borderlines, and Fragments of a German American Mind, often explores local history and culture. These films and others - Heavens Above and Muggs & Toast - have received awards at film festivals across the country. The Legend of the Pope Lick Monster continues to be a cult classic.

Ron Schildknecht

Director's Statement

I began this project because I wanted to explore the effects of the war on Ukrainian citizens living in America, particularly those with close family members still living in Ukraine. This film is a snapshot of three generations of women living through a time of war. One is surrounded by the devastation and destruction from the Russian invastion but yet refuses to leave for safer parts of the world. Another is her granddaughter living in Chicago who is growing increasingly radicalized and wanting to take matters into her own hands despite the consequences. And caught in the middle is the daughter / mother maintaining the balance. The film also celebrates the power of art as a tool for protest, resistance and solidarity.

Screenings

2025 Viewers' Choice Award, Ukrainian Film Festival in America, Chicago

CREDITS

Written and Directed by
Ron Schildknecht

Dariya
Kateryna Tkachenko

Tetiana
Ludmila Tyshenko

Marina
Yeva Wild

Translation
Kateryna Tkachenko

Associate Producer
Flora Schildknecht

Camera and Editing
Ron Schildknecht

Production Assistance
Isaac Regalado

Specifications

Project Type: Short
Runtime: 7 minutes 18 seconds
Completion Date: November 16, 2025
Country of Origin: United States
Country of Filming: United States
Language: English, Ukrainian
Shooting Format: Digital
Aspect Ratio:1. 6:9
Film Color: Color