Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko

Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko is a Ukrainian filmmaker, writer, musician, and translator based in Pittsburgh, PA. Working at the crossroads of literature, music, and cinema, he draws deeply from Ukrainian culture while pushing the boundaries of form and language.

As a filmmaker, Frazé-Frazénko is known for his poetic documentaries about major Ukrainian cultural figures, including Chubai (2014), The House on Seven Winds (2015), and An Aquarium in the Sea (2016). His films have been screened internationally and are recognized for their experimental style and literary depth.

His literary work includes numerous poetry collections and prose publications in both Ukrainian and English. He is also the first to have translated Jim Morrison’s poetry into Ukrainian, with the book’s debut selling out immediately upon release. His English-language novel Nothing Is Under Control (2025) and the poetry collection FAQ Ukraine (2024) reflect the raw, urgent voice of a country in crisis and transformation.

In music, Frazé-Frazénko leads the band Frazé-Frazénko & The Happy Lovers, blending Ukrainian folk tradition with avant-garde and alternative sounds. He also performs as a duo with his wife, Mari, reimagining folk songs through a stripped-down, emotionally charged lens. Together, they create music that bridges generations and geographies.

In 2022, he remained in Ukraine during the full-scale invasion, actively contributing to volunteer efforts and working with international media to document the war from the inside. Now, through his publishing house OFF Laboratory, he continues to amplify Ukrainian voices—publishing books, releasing music, and curating cross-genre collaborations that speak to this moment in history.

a Japanese filmmaker and war journalist Yoshitaka Nitta shot a documentary about Frazé-Frazénko in 2022. "A direct and in-depth Interview exploring the mind and motivation of the leader, visionary, artist, and entrepreneur who is changing our world. A poet living in western Ukraine, created rap songs to call for resistance to Russian invasion. He speaks to the world for people to realize more about what is currently happening in Ukraine."

UA Post TV talks about a Chicago premiere of the feature documentary "An Aquarium in the Sea" by Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko. the film tells the story of the New York Group of Poets, founded in the 1950s. Ukrainian-speaking poets who grew up in the English-speaking world in the mid-twentieth century are trying to preserve their culture and bring it to the world level. the screening was a part of the North American Aquarium premiere tour in 2016 and took place in the Ukrainian Institute of Modern art in Chicago.

The Ukrainian digital broadcasting station, Hromarske TV, produced a documentary on Oleksandr's film "The House on the Seven Winds" in 2016. Frazé-Frazénko persistently delves into his nuanced interpretation of diaspora and its often underestimated significance in a post-Soviet Ukraine. "The House" vividly portrays the conflict of the displaced neighborhood in an almost surreal artistic manner, unfolding through the persona and works of Vasyl Makhno.

a rare opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of filmmaker Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko's work, this BTS footage was captured in Kyiv in 2019 during the filming of the music video "Machina" for the Canadian-Ukrainian band Balaklava Blues. the music video itself unveils political and social statements in a dream-like, satirical manner. check it out here.