‘More to Ukraine than just war’: Potomac filmmaker’s documentary highlights Ukrainian pianist’s resilience through art
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Jacqueline KalilApril 20, 2026 12:39 p.m.
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Make a ContributionA decade-long relationship between a Ukrainian-born filmmaker and a young pianist uprooted by war is at the heart of A Score in Absence, a documentary that follows Khrystyna Mykhailichenko’s journey as a displaced artist using music to represent her country on the global stage.
For Potomac resident and director Max Rykov, the film is both a personal exploration of identity and a reflection of his own Ukrainian heritage, shaped by years of knowing his subject long before the camera began recording.
“There’s more to Ukraine than just war,” he told Bethesda Today“Artists like Khrystyna are carrying the burden of representing their country abroad, and that in itself is an act of resistance.”
That story reached a local audience for the first time on April 10, when A Score in Absence screened alongside four other short documentaries at the 14th annual Bethesda Film Festival at the Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema. The festival showcases work from regional filmmakers and highlights a range of human-interest stories, from athletic pursuits to personal journeys shaped by global events.
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The documentary explores both the challenges of displacement and the role of art during wartime. Rykov said he felt a responsibility to highlight Ukrainian culture at a time when global attention is often focused on the conflict itself, emphasizing that cultural storytelling can counter efforts to erase Ukrainian identity.
He said he first met Mykhailichenko in 2015, when he was still a high school student and she was just 9 years old, after her family fled Crimea to Irpin following Russia’s annexation of the region. Even then, she was already gaining recognition for her musical talent.
“I’ve known Max since 2015 and we both grew up a lot over the past 11 years,” Mykhailichenko told Bethesda Today in a phone call . “I was developing as a professional pianist, and Max was mastering the art of filming.”
She added that Rykov has “always been incredibly sensitive to all the professional ‘tricky corners’ of her work as a concert pianist, showing “great respect for the music and process which should not be disturbed.”
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Born in Ukraine and raised in Bethesda, Rykov moved to the United States from Kyiv in 2006. He later attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) High School, where an early interest in filmmaking took shape through the school’s film program. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in digital media production from Florida State University and is currently pursuing a master’s in journalism at Columbia University, he said.
Years after they first met, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Mykhailichenko and her family to flee once again, this time from the Kyiv region. Rykov reconnected with her and began documenting her life as she prepared for a series of international performances across Europe to raise money for Ukraine. She was 17 at the time of filming for Rykov’s documentary and is now 20.
“I wanted to showcase her story as she was presenting herself on the cultural front,” Rykov said.
Mykhailichenko said that mission reflects a broader reality she hopes audiences won’t overlook.
“First and foremost — the war in Ukraine is still going on and people are fighting and tragically passing away every single day,” she said. “It’s been four years now and the world has changed so much, but we shouldn’t forget that Ukraine is still fighting for its freedom and independence.”
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Rykov followed Mykhailichenko for several months beginning in late summer 2022, filming in Poland and later conducting follow-up interviews in London. The project ultimately took four years to complete, a process Rykov described as “long and iterative,” as he worked through extensive footage to shape the narrative.
Mykhailichenko said she hopes the film encourages audiences to engage more deeply with Ukrainian culture. “I also hope people will get a little bit more interested in Ukrainian artists and culture, as I’ve been carrying my ‘cultural front’ over the past years representing Ukraine on big European and Western stages,” she said.
As the film begins circulating beyond Bethesda, both filmmaker and subject say they hope it will resonate with wider audiences.
“Art is a very tangible way of supporting Ukraine,” Rykov said. “I hope this film helps people reconnect and understand the cultural side of what’s happening.”
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine