---
title: "Natalia Vorozhbit's 'Demons': World Premiere in Locarno and Ruslana Pysanka's Final Role"
description: "Natalia Vorozhbit's new film 'Demons' has been invited to the prestigious Locarno Film Festival. 🇨🇭 The film will have its world premiere and is dedicated to the memory of actress Ruslana Pysanka, who played her final role in it. 🎬🕯️"
date: 2026-07-09T13:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/natalia-vorozhbit-demons-locarno-premiere-ruslana-pysanka
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Natalia Vorozhbit's 'Demons': World Premiere in Locarno and Ruslana Pysanka's Final Role

![Ruslana Pysanka in her final role in Natalia Vorozhbit’s play 'Demons' — ahead of the world premiere in Locarno](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/09/filmy-demoni-natali-vorozhbit-lokarno-premiera/filmy-demoni-natali-vorozhbit-lokarno-premiera-1.webp)

Ukrainian cinema continues to firmly establish its position on the international stage. The next significant step will be the participation of a new film by director Natalia Vorozhbit in the program of one of Europe's most prestigious film festivals. The film 'Demons' has been invited to the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, where its world premiere will take place.

### In the Spotlight of the Festival

The event will take place from August 5 to 15. The film has been selected for the 'Concorso Cineasti del Presente' competition. This is a prestigious section featuring debut and second feature films by directors, highlighting the significance of the event for the careers of the film's creators.

### Plot: Mysticism Against the Backdrop of Historical Change

The film is set in the early 1990s, at the turning point of eras following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The plot revolves around the main character, Nina, who meets a man claiming to be a writer. Wanting to start a new life, she travels with him. However, the mystical atmosphere of the Poltava region hides a terrible truth about her chosen companion. In this world, where the past constantly makes itself felt, witches live alongside people.

### A Tragic Story of Creation

'Demons' is Natalia Vorozhbit's second feature film. Previously, she gained international recognition with her debut film 'Bad Roads', which was Ukraine's submission for the Academy Award. The director is also known as the screenwriter of the film 'Cyborgs' and the showrunner of the series 'Catch Kaidash'.

The film holds special significance due to the participation of Ruslana Pysanka. The role of Nina became the actress's last major work in cinema. Ruslana passed away in July 2022, while filming was still underway. By the time of the tragedy, the team had managed to shoot almost all scenes featuring the star. After her death, the creators were forced to change several final episodes but preserved the main idea of the film, dedicating it to the memory of the actress.

### Recognition of Talent

Natalia Vorozhbit is convinced that it is in this film that audiences will see the true scale of Ruslana Pysanka's talent.

"Ruslana was an extremely talented, deep actress and a true star, who unfortunately did not manage to fully realize her talent during her lifetime. I think that in 'Demons' we managed to capture on screen the true scale of her acting nature," the director noted.

### International Cooperation

The project was created as a co-production between Ukraine and Poland. Its realization was supported by the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema and the Polish Film Institute. International sales of the film are handled by the French company Celluloid Dreams. The project itself became the winner of the program supporting the international promotion of Ukrainian cinema, opening up broad prospects for it on the global market.