“Home is not where you are born. Home is where all your attempts to escape cease.”
Naguib Mahfouz
Capus Mundi Studios and The DBpost Announce International Co-Production “Perun and the Olive Tree”
TheDBpost and Capus Mundi Studios S.r.l. (Italy) are proud to announce their official partnership for the production of the upcoming feature film, Perun and the Olive Tree. Co-directed by Francesco Capussela and Dmytro Bas, the film is a poignant documentary-drama hybrid that explores the intersection of ancient Slavic mythology and the contemporary reality of the Ukrainian diaspora.
Filmed across Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, the project serves as a cinematic bridge between the scorched earth of the Ukrainian front and the sun-drenched landscapes of the Mediterranean.
The Narrative
The film opens in a wheat field in Puglia, where a mother’s retelling of the myth of Perun—the Slavic god of thunder—becomes a metaphor for the roar of modern warfare. The narrative follows a series of interconnected lives: from a farmer in Foggia rediscovering the Ukrainian plains in Italian soil, to a manager in Bari fighting local patriarchy, and a violinist in Valencia weaving flamenco with traditional Ukrainian melodies.
As the Mediterranean olive tree stands as a symbol of peace and endurance, the film captures the “migrating roots” of a people determined to preserve their identity through art, embroidery, and collective memory.
A Vision of Resilience
“This is not just a story of war, but a story of continuity,” say directors Capussela and Bas. “We wanted to explore how ‘home’ is reconstructed through daily gestures and how ancient myths provide a framework for understanding modern trauma.”
Perun and the Olive Tree juxtaposes raw, handheld footage of devastated Ukrainian cities with the rhythmic, slow growth of new life in exile. It concludes with a powerful message of hope, suggesting that dignity and heritage can take root anywhere.
Production Details
- Directors: Francesco Capussela & Dmytro Bas
- Production Companies: Capus Mundi Studios S.r.l., TheDBpost
- Genre: Documentary / Drama
- Format: 75 minutes | Color
- Languages: Ukrainian, Italian, Spanish, German, English
- Current Status: In development
