TRIP 2 SHOOTING SCHEDULE

Mechnikov Hospital — Dnipro, Ukraine

Dates: February 14 – March 2, 2026 Director: Thaddeus D. Matula DP: Logan Fulton Unit Producer: Laura Kulik

Plans can change same-day. This is a planning tool, not a locked schedule. Andrii controls all hospital access.

Bohdan Day ED

Bohdan Night ED

Bohdan Double (08-08)

Visiting Surgeons

Hryhorii / Beeswax

Date	Bohdan Shift	Key Staff on Duty	Planned Coverage	Story Threads	Notes
Feb 14 Fri	—	Nakaznyi (day+night ED) Fidria (intern, n/d)	Arrive Dnipro. Hospital orientation. Meet visiting American surgeons.	Visiting surgeons week begins	US Surgeons Russell, Kufler, ortho team (Feb 13-17)
Feb 15 Sat	—	Khudik (day+night ED) Tretiakov (intern, n/d)	Patient arc begins. Scatter shoot for coverage insurance. American surgeons working.	Patient arcs can start; visiting surgeon OR	US Surgeons Weekend — potential surgery schedule
Feb 16 Sun	—	Nakaznyi (day ED) Lombrozo (night ED) Basov (intern)	Continue scatter shoot. Patient arc development.	Patient arcs; visiting surgeon OR	US Surgeons
Feb 17 Mon	Day + Night ED	Nakaznyi (day ED) Fidria (intern) Malyi (dept/ICU)	Bohdan first shift. 1-hr conference + possible local TV. Evening event TBD. American surgeons last full day.	Father-son OR; visiting surgeons; the front arrives at night	US Surgeons Last day. Bohdan Day Bohdan Night
Feb 18 Tue	—	Nakaznyi (day ED) Hulidin (night ED) Poliakova (intern) Lombrozo (dept/ICU)	Evening event TBD. Focus: places delivering drama.	Develop nurse/intern threads	Week 1 evening event (details TBD)
Feb 19 Wed	—	Nakaznyi (day ED) Khudik (night ED) Staryk (dept/ICU)	Andrii's birthday. Potential personal/family filming.	Andrii personal; family life	Andrii's birthday. Also: Matula parents' 60th anniversary.
Feb 20 Thu	—	Nakaznyi (day+night ED) Kuts (dept/ICU)	Coverage catch-up. Daily review: what's working, what's missing.	Catch-up / gap coverage
Feb 21 Fri	Double 08-08	Fidria (intern) Malyi (dept/ICU)	PRIME OVERNIGHT #1. Full 24hr Bohdan coverage. Pre-position cameras for ER/ambulance arrivals.	The front arrives at night; father-son OR; fathers at war (Fidria)	Bohdan day ED + night ED. Fidria on duty — both key subjects together.
Feb 22 Sat	—	Khudik (day+night ED) Marchenko (dept/ICU)	Recovery from overnight. Review footage. Identify gaps.	Review / regroup	Bohdan off — crew rest day if needed
Feb 23 Sun	Day ED	Nakaznyi (night ED) Tretiakov (intern) Botikov (dept/ICU)	Bohdan day shift. Tretiakov on duty — both sons of soldiers.	Fathers at war (Tretiakov); father-son OR	Tretiakov + Bohdan overlap
Feb 24 Mon	Day ED	Hulidin (night ED) Poliakova (intern) Zorin (dept/ICU)	Bohdan day shift. Patient arc follow-ups. Beeswax interview prep (Hryhorii arriving in 4 days).	Patient arcs; beeswax prep
Feb 25 Tue	Day ED	Botikov (night ED) Tretiakov (intern) Khudik (dept/ICU)	Bohdan day shift. Tretiakov on duty again. Nurse portraits (Olga, Karina).	Husbands at war (nurses); fathers at war	Tretiakov second overlap with Bohdan
Feb 26 Wed	Day ED	Nakaznyi (night ED) Staryk (dept/ICU)	Bohdan day shift. Last prep before second overnight. Natalia Malisevych (anesthesiologist) thread.	Husbands at war (Natalia); patient arcs	Pre-position for tomorrow's double
Feb 27 Thu	Double 08-08	Poliakova (intern) Hulidin (dept/ICU)	PRIME OVERNIGHT #2. Full 24hr Bohdan coverage. ER chaos, ambulance arrivals, shift transitions.	The front arrives at night; father-son OR; repeated sacrifice	Last double shift of the trip. Make it count.
Feb 28 Fri	Day ED (roster says Botikov)	Botikov (day+night ED) Tretiakov (intern) Pliushchev (dept/ICU)	HRYHORII ARRIVES with beeswax + honey. Film: beeswax handoff, father-son, apiary discussion. Bohdan NOT on ED today.	Beeswax to bone wax; agrarian to OR; generational	Hryhorii + Beeswax This is the central metaphor day.
Mar 1 Sat	—	(March roster TBD)	Wrap coverage. Pick-up shots. Final patient follow-ups. Audio diary collection.	Patient arc closings; wrap	Confirm March roster with Andrii
Mar 2 Sun	—	(March roster TBD)	Final day. Goodbyes. Departure coverage if useful.	Departure / farewell	Depart Ukraine Mar 2-3

PERSONNEL QUICK REFERENCE Expand

DR. ANDRII SIRKO

Head, Center for Cerebral Neurosurgery

Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences. 25+ years at Mechnikov. ~2,000 war-related operations since 2014. Controls all hospital access. Signs the duty roster.

Thread: 400-year Sirko lineage, beeswax-to-bone-wax, Ivan Sirko legacy

DR. BOHDAN SIRKO

Neurosurgeon (Andrii's Son)

Trip 2 day ED: Feb 17, 21, 23-27. Night ED: Feb 17, 21, 27. Doubles: Feb 21, 27. Oct 2024: operating during ballistic missile strike, finished surgery.

Thread: Next generation, father-son OR dynamic, "the front arrives at night"

NIKITA LOMBROZO

Vascular Neurosurgeon

Young daughter. Andrii's next PhD candidate. High surgical volume on wounded patients. On duty: Feb 16 (night), 18.

Thread: Young father doing vascular neurosurgery under fire

ANTONIY NAKAZNYI

Resident

Heaviest rotation on duty roster. High surgical volume on wounded. Day ED: Feb 14, 16-20, 23 (night), 26 (night).

Thread: Workhorse of the department

RADOSLAV MALYI

Resident

Chicago Bears surgical cap. On duty: Feb 17, 21.

Thread: Develop on ground

MYKHAILO FIDRIA

3rd Year Surgical Intern

Wants neurosurgery residency, exam this year. Father fighting at front. Cooks midnight meals for duty staff. Trip 2: Feb 14 (n/d), 17, 21.

Thread: Father at war, son saves wounded. Midnight cooking = humanity

ARTEM TRETIAKOV

Surgical Intern

Father fighting at front. Trip 2: Feb 15 (n/d), 23, 25, 28.

Thread: Father at war, son in hospital. Paired with Fidria = "interns whose fathers fight"

OLGA PAVLICHENKO

OR Nurse

Husband at front. 1+ hour bus commute each way. Leaves before dawn, returns near midnight. Small children + 24-hour shifts.

Thread: Bus commute = daily sacrifice, wartime motherhood in the OR

KARINA KUBINETS

OR Nurse

Husband at front. 24-hour shifts with small children.

Thread: Paired portrait with Olga — wartime motherhood in the OR

NATALIA MALISEVYCH

Neuro-ICU Anesthesiologist

Husband Roman fighting at front. Met Roman when Andrii operated on Roman's brother for war head injury.

Thread: War injury → surgery → love → husband now at front. Full circle

YURII SKREBETS

Deputy Medical Director

Former Hospitallers medic. Wounded in combat, returned to Mechnikov. Recently injured AGAIN in Shahed drone strike. Completed internship with Andrii.

Thread: Repeated sacrifice — wounded, returns, wounded again

HRYHORII SIRKO

Andrii's Father (Beekeeper)

Arriving Dnipro February 28. Bringing beeswax + honey. Bees dormant in winter. Farm in Verkhnodniprovsk (~90km).

Thread: Agrarian-to-OR, beeswax = bone wax, the land Russia covets

SAFETY — NO-GO ZONES Expand

ZAPORIZHZHIA / KHORTYTSIA

DO NOT GO. Constant KAB + drone attacks.

NIKOPOL / KAPULIVKA

DO NOT GO. Most dangerous area. Continuous artillery. Russians hunting civilians with drones. Ivan Sirko grave is here — not worth the risk.

ANATOLIY CHUDNOVSKY / ILLINKA

NOT FEASIBLE. In Zaporizhzhia danger zone.

STORY THREAD TRACKER Expand

1

Father-Son (Andrii + Bohdan in OR)

Two generations operating side by side. Best days: any Bohdan shift, especially doubles (Feb 21, 27).
2

Fathers at War (Mykhailo + Artem)

Their fathers fight at the front while they save the wounded at Mechnikov. Fidria: Feb 17, 21. Tretiakov: Feb 23, 25, 28.
3

Husbands at War (Olga, Karina, Natalia)

Wartime motherhood + 24-hour OR shifts. Husbands at the front. Olga's bus commute = daily sacrifice visual.
4

Beeswax to Bone Wax (Hryhorii → Andrii → Skull)

The film's central metaphor. Hryhorii arrives Feb 28 with beeswax + honey. Every day ask: "Did we get beeswax footage today?"
5

Full Patient Arcs

Tumor: admission → discharge. Wounded: ambulance → surgery → train evacuation. Can start Feb 15-16.
6

The Front Arrives at Night

Overnight shifts, ambulance arrivals, ER chaos. Prime nights: Feb 21 (Fri→Sat), Feb 27 (Thu→Fri).
7

Repeated Sacrifice (Yurii Skrebets)

Combat medic → hospital administrator → wounded twice. Not interviewed Trip 1 (missed on Saturday). Priority for Trip 2.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Expand

Sasha's coffee shop — status?
Re-emerging Dnipro land post-dam destruction?
Patient transport / ambulance ride-along — confirmed?
Alex Valadka sizzle reel question — no response from Andrii