TV Series | 2019–2020 | TV-MA 50m

Director: Eugen Tunik
Production: Star Media
Running Time: 50’
Language: Ukrainian
Country: Ukraine
Editor: Nazim Kadri-Zade

SYNOPSIS

The series revolves around the lives of Ukrainian teenagers in a secondary school class. The teenagers struggle with bullying, including the Blue Whale Challenge, lack of parental support, suicidal behaviour, LGBT identity crises—a subject that is rarely portrayed on Ukrainian television—alcoholic parents, and speech disabilities. In one of the show’s main plotlines, the main characters are stalked on the Internet by an anonymous person who pretends to be their friend.

The series has been described by BBC News as “a local surprise hit”. It has also been praised for making issues that are rarely dealt with in public in Ukraine debatable. According to BBC News the series was “pretty much the first time that adolescent LGBT identity had been portrayed on Ukrainian TV”.