--- title: "\"The Fencer. The Main Bout\": UnitedContentHUB studio releases teaser for Olga Kharlan biopic" description: "Film studio UnitedContentHUB has presented the first teaser for the biopic \"The Fencer. The Main Bout\" about Olga Kharlan. Filming by Denys Tarasov begins in spring 2027." date: 2026-11-11T13:47:54.492Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/the-fencer-main-bout-olga-kharlan-biopic tags: [olga-kharlan, fencing, biopic, ukraine-cinema, unitedcontenthub] author: "Marina Slivenko, Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "The Fencer. The Main Bout": UnitedContentHUB studio releases teaser for Olga Kharlan biopic ![Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan celebrating a victory while holding the Ukrainian flag above her head](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/fehtovshchitsa-glavnyy-poyedinok-tizer-bayopika-ob-olge-kharlan/fehtovshchitsa-glavnyy-poyedinok-tizer-bayopika-ob-olge-kharlan-1.webp) ## Key Points - Film studio UnitedContentHUB showed the first teaser of the biopic "The Fencer. The Main Bout" about Olga Kharlan on November 5 at their annual event. - The film's director is Denys Tarasov, script by Maria Tkachyk; filming is scheduled to start in spring 2027. - The plot will cover Kharlan's career, including her refusal to shake hands with the Russian opponent at the 2023 World Championships in Milan, and her relationship with Italian sabre fencer Luigi Samele. - The project is being created as part of the Ukrainian President's "Thousand-Verst" initiative with support from the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Film studio UnitedContentHUB has unveiled the first teaser for the biopic "The Fencer. The Main Bout" — a film about the two-time Olympic champion and Ukrainian sabre fencer Olga Kharlan. The teaser premiered on November 5th at the studio's annual event, where the team summarized their work and announced new projects. The film was presented by the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine Vadym Gutzeit, co-producer Maria Kostina, and international communications producer Yuriy Vityak. ### Plot: From first steps to the main bout According to the authors' vision, the film will trace Kharlan's entire sports career: her first steps in fencing, key victories, injuries, and defeats. The film is directed by Denys Tarasov, with the script written by Maria Tkachyk, Andrii Nohin as executive producer, and Yevhen Kirei as director of photography. Among the central episodes highlighted in the State Film Agency's project description is the athlete's refusal to shake hands with her Russian opponent after their bout at the 2023 Fencing World Championships in Milan. ### Personal narrative and working with the protagonist A separate storyline will be dedicated to Kharlan's relationship with Italian sabre fencer Luigi Samele, known as Gigi; the team plans to recreate their first meeting during filming in Italy. As co-producer Maria Kostina noted, during the script development stage, the team conducted dozens of interviews with Kharlan, which allowed for a deeper understanding of her experiences and decisions beyond the competition arena. "We laughed together, went through difficult moments, and sometimes couldn't hold back our tears," she remarked. ### Timeline and industrial journey of the project The start of production, according to Vadym Gutzeit, is scheduled for the spring of 2027. Working materials for the project have already been demonstrated at industrial events of the 83rd Venice Film Festival as part of the "Work in Progress" presentation. The film is being created as part of the "Thousand-Verst" initiative by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Thus, the biopic is positioned as a large-scale sports biographical film that combines a documentary foundation built on personal interviews with the protagonist and an artistic interpretation of her career and personal life. The expected start of filming in spring 2027 makes the project one of the most notable announcements in Ukrainian cinema for the near future. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Киностудия UnitedContentHUB показала первый тизер фильма об Ольге Харлане](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/culture/kinostudiya-unitedcontenthub-pokazala-pershiy-1794400498.html) - Report from UnitedContentHUB studio: teaser shown on November 5, director Denys Tarasov, scriptwriter Maria Tkachyk, filming starts spring 2027, "Thousand-Verst" initiative. ## FAQ ### When will the filming of the Olga Kharlan movie begin? According to the President of the NOC of Ukraine, Vadym Gutzeit, the start of production is scheduled for the spring of 2027. ### Who is the director and screenwriter of the "The Fencer. The Main Bout" biopic? The director is Denys Tarasov, the script was written by Maria Tkachyk; general producer is Andrii Nohin, director of photography is Yevhen Kirei. ### What key episodes will be included in the film? The film will tell about Kharlan's first steps in fencing, victories, injuries, and defeats, including the refusal to shake hands with a Russian opponent at the 2023 World Championships in Milan, as well as her relationship with Italian sabre fencer Luigi Samele.