Yevhen Taller on the cover of Harper's Bazaar: on the loss of his mother, the film 'NU MAM', and the return of Petryk Pyatochkin

Ukrainian film producer Yevhen Taller has become the star of a new cover for Harper's Bazaar. According to Wave RBC.UA, he dedicated the photoshoot and extensive interview to his 33rd birthday. In conversation with the magazine, Taller spoke openly about changes in his life, work on personal film projects, and ambitious plans to bring a cult character of Ukrainian animation, Petryk Pyatochkin, back to the big screen. The photoshoot maintains a cinematic aesthetic and portrays the producer from various angles: confident in his craft, yet open to emotion and frank discussion.

'It is permanent creativity'

One of the key themes of the interview was Taller's professional self-awareness and finding a balance between creative ambitions and business tasks. According to the producer, cinema remains the one sphere where he never loses interest in any stage of the work. 'It is the only field where I do not get tired of a single process. In any other business, there is always something you do just because you have to. But cinema isn't like that. It's some kind of permanent creativity. You fall in love with it, and then you can no longer shake this addiction,' Taller confessed in his conversation with Harper's Bazaar. He also noted that he constantly feels an internal conflict between a dreamer and a pragmatic producer, and it is precisely this tension, he says, that keeps him sharp.

The film 'NU MAM' as a way to honor his mother's memory

A special place in the interview was dedicated to the film 'NU MAM', which holds deep personal significance for Taller. Working on the tape gave the producer an opportunity to return to childhood memories and honor the memory of his mother, who passed away in 2021. Yevhen wrote one of the film's novellas himself, basing it on his own parents' story. After the film's release, he received thousands of messages from viewers sharing their personal experiences. According to Taller, some of them decided to resume communication with their relatives after watching the film, which he considers one of the most valuable responses to his work.

The return of Petryk Pyatochkin: six months of negotiations and a new cinematic universe

Another large-scale project Taller discussed in the interview is the return of Petryk Pyatochkin, one of the most recognizable characters in Ukrainian animation, to the screens. The producer reported that he spent about six months negotiating with the character's author, Natalia Guzeyeva, trying to persuade her to give the character a new lease of life. According to him, this is not just about a familiar image reappearing, but about creating a modern fairy-tale cinematic universe capable of capturing the interest of a new generation of children. This approach involves rethinking the story to meet the demands of modern audiences while maintaining a connection to the cultural heritage of Ukrainian animation.

Commerce and emotion: the formula of a 33-year-old producer

At 33, Yevhen Taller continues to combine a commercial approach to production with a desire to create stories that resonate and remain close to viewers. The interview for Harper's Bazaar became for him not only an occasion to sum up the year, but also a space for reflection on how personal losses and professional ambitions intertwine in filmmaking. The photoshoot and text, maintained in a cinematic style, emphasize that for Taller, the boundary between life and the screen remains intentionally blurred.