Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko

Renowned as a filmmaker, Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko is best known for his powerful feature documentaries, many of which focus on Ukrainian poets and cultural figures. His magnum opus, The Poets Series, is a sweeping, multi-part chronicle of Ukrainian modernist poetry—widely regarded as a landmark in contemporary documentary cinema.

Over the years, Frazé-Frazénko has become known for capturing pivotal moments in Ukraine’s cultural life, from groundbreaking art and music festivals to intimate lectures, performances, and political speeches. His personal archive now contains thousands of hours of rare and historically significant footage.

His feature documentaries and short fiction films have received numerous international awards and nominations. Among them, An Aquarium in the Sea stands out for reigniting interest in Ukraine’s modernist literary heritage—sparking a revival of poetic experimentation among the country’s youngest generation of writers.

The Poets Series: An Aquarium in the Sea In the mid-20th century, Ukraine’s cultural elite faced a stark choice: flee and preserve their national identity abroad, or remain in the Soviet Union and risk assimilation. This documentary tells the story of the New York Group of Poets, a circle of Ukrainian émigré writers who, beginning in the 1950s, sought to keep their language and culture alive in exile.

Raised in the English-speaking world, these poets embraced modernist experimentation while staying rooted in Ukrainian literary tradition. An Aquarium in the Sea captures their struggle and brilliance—tracing how, even in displacement, they worked to restore Ukrainian culture to its rightful place in the global conversation.

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Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko’s short films are fertile ground for experimentation, pushing the boundaries of cinematic language. By weaving together poetry, music, visual art, and film, these works dissolve traditional genre lines—offering more than just aesthetic experience. They become moments of self-exploration, self-healing, and poetic witnessing. Bold, intimate, and often haunting, these films invite viewers into a space where emotion and form collide.

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As a music video producer, Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko is known for his signature blend of art-house atmosphere, noir aesthetics, and prolific output. His background as a filmmaker, writer, and musician allows him to approach each project from multiple angles—resulting in visually rich, emotionally layered works. Seamlessly merging sound, storytelling, and image, Oleksandr crafts music videos that go beyond promotion—they become self-contained cinematic experiences, shaped by a deep understanding of rhythm, narrative, and mood.

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A significant part of Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko’s body of work lies in art-focused documentation and cultural advertisement. Over the past decade, he has built a strong reputation for capturing pivotal moments in Ukraine’s artistic life—filming landmark lectures, speeches, performances, and major festivals.

His work includes long-standing collaborations with events such as JazzBez, Flyugery Lvova, the ethno festival Pidkamin’, Contemporary Art Week, the Ukrainian-Polish cultural exchange L2, the international arts festival Fort.Missia, the literary series Kabinet, and many others. Through this, he has created a vast and valuable audiovisual archive spanning thousands of pieces—preserving the evolving story of Ukrainian culture in motion.

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As a tutor, Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko leads masterclasses in filmmaking, drawing on his wide-ranging experience across film, music, literature, and visual art. His self-developed program offers students a holistic understanding of cinematic language—bridging sound, storytelling, and visual aesthetics into a unified creative practice.

Oleksandr’s teaching emphasizes innovation, independence, and resourcefulness. He encourages aspiring filmmakers to break free from traditional constraints, proving that powerful cinema can be made without expensive gear, large budgets, or big crews. His workshops inspire students to trust their vision—and to explore the full creative potential of doing it themselves.