by FilmInk Staff
This August, catch the hottest rising Ukrainian actor Kirill King in From All Sides at the Indian Film Festival. The film tells the story of a Western Sydney married multiracial bisexual couple, Anoushka and Pascal, maintaining an open relationship whilst juggling jobs and raising two teenage children.
FROM ALL SIDES
Indian Film Festival 2025
Wednesday 21 August, 8pm
Hoyts Cinema, Melbourne Central
“Without giving too much away, Kirill’s performance is completely jaw-dropping and comes at a pivotal moment of the film. It was such a complex role and needed some serious acting chops to pull it off,” said Bina Bhattacharya, Director. “I see a big future for Kirill, particularly after his outstanding performance in From All Sides.”
For the role, Kirill drew on his own story of immigration from Ukraine as well as the ongoing war. Since graduating from the Adelaide College of the Arts, he has hit the ground running, appearing in numerous films and theatre productions. He is fast building a reputation as a voice for emotionally grounded and globally minded storytelling. On a personal level, Kirill has been deeply affected by the war, with family members and those in his inner circle suffering horrific atrocities, including death. Kirill hopes that by sharing his story and work as an actor that he can raise the profile of those suffering through (or as a result of) war.
From All Sides follows the story of Anoushka, a former professional dancer who now works in the not-for-profit sector where she’s tokenised by her white colleagues. When her daughter Nina seeks her help in applying for a prestigious dance school, it catapults the entire family into parallel journeys of cultural and sexual awakenings amidst a minefield of race relations and class tensions. The film explores themes of racism, sexuality, identity, class issues and more. Kirill plays the role of Mikhail, a mysterious young Eastern European struggling with his own personal situation.
This role is close to home for Kirill, and he was able to draw on his experience as an immigrant from Ukraine. Since moving to Australia Kirill has worked to build a bridge to his culture and new life through performance.
“The war has been and continues to play a dominant role in my life,” said Kirill. “My family and I are surrounded by it every single day. The war is still vastly underreported in the media in Australia, with many Australians I’ve spoken to unaware that the war is still going on. I’m an actor, and through my work, I want to raise awareness that all war is bad.”
Kirill’s family lives with the impact of the war daily, with family members fighting on the frontline, volunteering food and medical aid, evacuating civilians from the frontline and some living in refugee camps in Europe. Tragically, Kirill also lost a family member killed in active duty. Kirill and his family along with the Slava Ukrainian Cultural Centre, led by his mother, have contributed strongly to the war effort. Recently, they were able to send 5 tonnes of medical aid directly to the frontline near his home city of Kharkiv. Additionally, their support has helped refugees in Australia with housing, employment and integration into the community. Further, Kirill has assisted his own family to escape the war to Australia whilst also conducting humanitarian work with his family and Slava to raise money. This fundraising has assisted 256 children with disabilities evacuated from the front line and who are now living in foster care in Kharkiv.
20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia, along with the very recent and catalogue-like selling of stolen Ukrainian children. Unfortunately, there has been almost no reporting on this by the Australian media. The work Kirill and his family have conducted to support victims of the war is ongoing and includes being a voice outside of Ukraine in Australia.
“There is a deep connection to my character in From All Sides,” said Kirill, “Like me, he’s also Eastern European and, like many refugees from the war in Ukraine (Including my family), he has left home for a better life. While my character isn’t a refugee, his emotional journey parallels the uncertainty, displacement and isolation that refugees face from all around the world and from all kinds of conflicts.”
Kirill’s character, like many immigrants, faces loneliness, isolation and struggles with mental health. His situation is made worse by cultural and language barriers and a lack of accessible, affordable and inclusive mental health support. This mirrors the experience of countless Australians, making this story socially resonant.
The film will be presented as part of the Indian Film Festival, and following this, the Queer Screen Film Festival and is sure to raise many talking points for refugees and immigrants making a new life for themselves in Australia. Tickets for sessions are available now.
