We did it. TO DANCE IS TO RESIST is finished, and it premiered to the world at BFI Flare London.

Two years ago, more than 170 of you backed a rough cut and a promise. Because of you, that promise became a finished 90-minute feature documentary.

Since its World Premiere at BFI Flare 2026, the film has celebrated its German premiere at DOK.fest München and travelled to Doxumentale Berlin, the Macao International Queer Film Festival, and the Bangkok LGBTIQ+ Film Festival. Next up: TAURON New Horizons in Wrocław, with more dates being confirmed.

The press has responded:

Flicker Magazine:

"Anyone could attempt to make a documentary. Not everyone could make one as impactful as To Dance is to Resist."

Obscurae:

"Adeptly and elegantly blends all the glamour and beauty of dance with the striking sounds and imagery of an active war."

Take One Magazine:

"The quality and texture of a long, paced, visual poem."

None of this would exist without the people who gave early. Thank you.

A finished film is not a finished mission

We owe you honesty about how we got here.

So far our crowdfunding did not cover the post-production, but the film could not wait. Editing, colour grading, sound mix, music licensing, festival submissions, travel: all of it had to happen for the film to reach its premiere on time, so that the urgency of its story could be shared on screen with an international audience while it matters most. So the production carried the costs. Fees were deferred, savings went in, and part of the budget had to be borrowed. Those costs are now being repaid month by month, while the film travels the world.

That was a deliberate choice, and we would make it again. But it means the film is still being paid off while it's out there doing its work.

So this is the ask, in plain words: help us reimburse what it cost to finish and launch the film, repay what was borrowed, and keep it moving through its festival run.

How the €36,000 will be used

The €36,000 goal is the minimum to put the project on solid ground.

The first €20,000 clears the borrowed money that financed the post-production. This is the part with a monthly clock on it, and every donation shortens it. The remaining €16,000 reimburses further costs the production carried itself and keeps the film travelling through the rest of its 2026 festival run: screening materials, maintenance, travel, and the push toward cinema and streaming distribution.

These funds reimburse documented expenses paid by PM Film Production and help repay financing taken on specifically to complete and release the film.

For context: €1,000 per finished minute is considered a very low budget for a feature documentary. At 90 minutes, that would be €90,000. This film was completed well below that, largely financed by the production itself.

The film

Queer couple Jay and Vol'demar find strength and community in Kyiv's underground rave scene, where dance becomes both survival and resistance in the face of war.

Shot with intimate access amid Russia's full-scale invasion, the film follows them as air-raid sirens interrupt the night and dance studios, clubs, and stages become places of refuge. Sirens fold into synths, laughter interrupts the quiet, and the city emerges as a living character: wounded, but resilient. In a country where same-sex partnerships still have no legal recognition, Jay and Vol'demar's story is a testament to creativity, care, and survival as a form of defiance.

Here, to dance is to resist.

Runtime: 90 minutes.

Where the film goes next

The festival run continues through 2026 and 2027, and from there the goal is wider distribution: cinemas, streaming, and eventually digital rental and purchase.

We are also looking for executive producers and partners ready to come on board with a larger investment. If that's you, or someone you know, please get in touch with us.

The team you're backing

TO DANCE IS TO RESIST is the feature documentary debut of director and producer Julian Lautenbacher, who has carried the project since 2021, returning to Kyiv throughout the full-scale war. The film was made with a Ukrainian and international crew and produced by PM Film Production between Kyiv and Berlin. Producer Sasha Ongley joined in early 2025.

Meet the full team on our homepage: www.todanceistoresist.com

How you can help

Donate if you can. Every euro goes toward costs already carried for the film, and until the first €20,000 is reached, every euro shortens the debt. If you can't, share this link: a share to the right person is worth as much as a donation. And come see the film when it plays near you.

Thank you for being part of this from the beginning.

Let's keep it moving.

https://pm-filmproduction.com/