Rhino on Netflix: Ukrainian movie directed by Oleh Sentsov is already available

Rhino, a movie directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, premieres on Netflix starting today, May 23. The streaming service bought the rights to show the film in early February 2022, Sentsov announced on his Facebook.

About the Rhino movie

Rhino is Oleh Sentsov’s second feature-length film, which has already been premiered at the 78th Venice Film Festival. It is a crime drama that was created as a co-production of Ukraine, Poland and Germany. The movie tells about the gangster 1990s in Ukraine. Its story centers on a huge and aggressive man nicknamed Rhino who is trapped in the criminal world.

The shooting started in 2013, when the State Cinema of Ukraine allocated UAH 3.9 million from state funding for its creation. But in 2014 it was suspended because of illegal imprisonment of Oleh Sentsov in Russia — his crime was speaking out against the Russian annexation of Crimea. After the director of Rhino returned to Ukraine in 2019, he continued to work on his second feature-length movie.

The filming took place in Krivyi Rih, Lviv, and Kyiv and ended in December 2020. The main role in the film was played by newcomer Serhii Filimonov.

Why it’s interesting

When the biggest streaming platform Netflix buys a Ukrainian film, it means a broad audience from all over the world will see it. It is a good chance for local filmmakers to become world-famous and continue developing.

This is not the first time Netflix bought the right to a Ukrainian film. At the end of December 2021, the company acquired a 5-year license to the documentary co-produced by Ukraine, France, and Poland Home Games, directed by the Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko. Territorially, the license covers the UK and the EU countries.

Aside from Home Games, Netflix shows the Ukrainian co-produced documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, which was directed by Israeli Evgeny Afineevsky. The film is about the 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution in central Kyiv.