‘I’ve always wanted to talk about the real things that happen to young people,’ says Margo Omirova, with a conviction that belies her tender age.
Yet, as someone who’s faced more turmoil during the past three years than many living in this country today will see in their lifetime, she’s plenty of first-hand experience to draw upon.
It was the invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022, that abruptly stopped Margo’s teenage dreams in their tracks.
At the time, she was enjoying studying for a degree in film at Kiev’s National University of Culture and Arts, alongside gaining industry experience as a part-time casting assistant.
Kyiv, before Margo – and so many others – had their lives turned upside down Photo: Getty
With her father and stepbrother, who live in Russia and had stopped over on a visit, Margo was up late working as the first bombs struck the city.
‘There was an explosion outside our window and the next few hours were scary,’ she vividly remembers.
‘Then, after the start of the war, the roads in Kiev became crowded with cars, and the air became more and more polluted.
‘Logistically, my father realised that we would need to wait for a couple of days because people were panicking. Eventually, we left the city after a couple of weeks and this was challenging because, by then, petrol had become very expensive.
‘It was hard for me looking out of the car window to see the burnt-out factories. I had been just living my life, I didn’t expect such a thing to happen.’
Having returned to her birthplace of Odessa, on Ukraine’s southern Black Sea coast, to rejoin her mother Lena, their safe haven soon came under threat too.
Speaking candidly about her own feelings at this time, Margo admits to becoming almost paralysed by fear.
‘For the first month back in Odessa we’d hear the alarms and sirens; then we started having explosions,’ she recalls.
‘When our neighbour’s house was completely destroyed, we realised it could be us next and I’d be unable to continue what I wanted to do in my own country.’
She credits her mother Lena, who’d lost her job in real estate as a consequence of the war, for bravely finding a solution to this crisis and getting them to safety – a move which saw the family car loaded up with all Margo’s key possessions, including her projector and laptop, and embarking on a seven-day journey across Europe to reach the UK.
It was here, having made contact with a distant relative of her grandmother, and Margo’s grasp of English, that they hoped to make a fresh start.
With many Derbyshire communities rallying to help Ukrainian refugees, it was Winster couple Deborah and Martin Hofman who opened their home to Margo and Lena. As Deborah explains, they didn’t hesitate to become a host family.
‘Being Jewish, we understood the situation only too well as Martin’s parents were both refugees in 1939, during World War Two,’ says Deborah.
‘Martin’s dad came on the Kindertransport and was looked after by a family in the East End of London who became his “adopted” parents. We wanted the opportunity to do the same thing.
‘They put on a brave face and we did our best to make them feel as welcome as we could, but it cannot have been easy for them.’
Yet, a keenness to find out more about each other’s backgrounds increased the bond between the two families.
‘We had many evenings of intense discussion, comparing our different cultures,’ recalls Deborah.
‘They helped with meal preparations and introduced us to the many delights of Ukrainian cooking. And, as they got used to eating less meat, so we got used to eating a bit more.’
When a neighbour learnt of Margo’s ambition to resume her studies, mother and daughter were driven to Brighton; the budding filmmaker quickly securing a place and scholarship at the renowned MetFilm School.
However, despite being a self-confessed city girl, Margo can still regularly be found in Derbyshire.
Starring Jude Law, as an aged Henry VIII, the Tudor biopic was shot at Haddon Hall, just a few short miles from Winster, before being released last year.
And her ties with the little Derbyshire village which became her adopted home remain stronger than ever.
‘Deborah and Martin have become my second family, and not just because they shared their house,’ Margo beams.
‘I still see them at least once a month and cannot imagine my life without them. I’m also so grateful to the Winster community. Many of them had only seen the pictures of Ukraine when the war started and didn’t know of the Ukraine before this. But they really wanted to help us.’
Meanwhile, with Lena having decided to return to Odessa following the passing of Margo’s much-loved grandmother, another chapter has begun for these two indomitable women.
‘My mum’s very proud of me and still supports me,’ observes Margo, now 21.
‘Now, it’s difficult because we have a long distance relationship. Odessa is not safe, but she says that she has her home, and I have my home.’
Breath of Life is a psychological drama set against the global transit of young refugees. And, in contrast with her own overwhelmingly positive experience, she is keen to give a voice to those who may find themselves abused or discriminated against in their adopted country.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Margo is busy fundraising towards the £6,000 production costs, having already held a supporters’ event in Winster and launched a crowdfunding campaign.
Forever appreciative of those who’ve backed her, after ‘a little rest’ post-graduation, she plans to screen the film to a wider audience this summer.
Three years after uprooting from Ukraine, the optimism of youth is back, with hopes high both for her own future and for others displaced by conflict.
‘Now I think of the UK as my first home and it would be hard for me to move anywhere else,’ suggests Margo.
‘Since being here, I’ve spoken with refugees from Gaza who, like me, want to have a better future and to live their dreams. We all want to grow.’
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(471x244:473x246)/CNN-New-Years-Eve-with-Anderson-Cooper-123124-9952e5f00fc1425f87113ba2bfb97b29.jpg "Anderson Cooper Says He Once ‘Hated’ New Year’s Eve While Co-Hosting CNN Broadcast")
