Heat Singers / Spivaie Ivano-Frankivskteplokomunenerho

Ivan Vasyliovych has been leading the Trade Union of the Communal Enterprise Ivano-Frankivskteplokomunenerho for many years. The Enterprise also has a Trade Union Choir called Chornobryvtsi, which has dispatchers, repairmen, locksmiths, and accountants singing there. The Union Head, Ivan,  takes pride in the creative achievements of the workers but adheres to the principle “first, keep people warm — then sing.” The heating season brings changes to the rehearsal schedule. The workforce tries to repair the outdated infrastructure while angry consumers bombard the hotline.

Nadiia Parfan’s debut full-length documentary film is built on quite personal material. It was Parfan’s grandfather who founded Ivano-Frankivskteplokomunenerho, and her mother was working there at the time of filming. This allowed the director to gain full access, establish a close rapport with the employees, and to create a warm atmosphere on screen.

Known for her activism, Parfan continued her urban studies in this film (it is important to note that she co-founded the film and urbanism festival “86”). She simultaneously tells the story of a small community of people and highlights what often goes unnoticed by city residents — the work of utility workers, their daily meticulous efforts, and attempts to manage city heating systems that have been in need of major repairs since the distant Soviet times. Moreover, the employees of Ivano-Frankivskteplokomunenerho in the film carry out their work with great love and humor, which sometimes helps overcome numerous obstacles.

The film’s international premiere took place at one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals in the Swiss city of Nyon. The Ukrainian premiere was at the Odesa Film Festival in 2019. That same year, the film received the Kinokolo Award from the Ukrainian Film Critics Union as the best documentary. It was later nominated in four categories for the Golden Dzyga Film Award.