An Oscar nominee will direct a film about the Ukrainian scientist Khavkin
During the Cannes Film Festival, the production of the international historical drama *Foreign Bodies*, dedicated to the Ukrainian scientist Waldemar Hawkin from Odesa, was announced. The film will chronicle his contributions to global science and the development of vaccines against cholera and the plague. The project will be directed by an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Shekhar Kapur will direct the historical drama about the man who helped save millions of lives.
Waldemar Hawkin was born in Odessa and became one of the most important scientists of his time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his work on vaccines against cholera and the plague helped save millions of lives, and his scientific legacy remains an important part of the history of modern vaccinology.
The film will be set in Odessa, Paris, London, Mumbai, and Kolkata—the places where the renowned scientist lived and worked.
Director Shekhar Kapur describes *Foreign Bodies* as a story of epic scale and deep inner conflict: “It is a story of extraordinary scale, yet at the same time one of very personal and internal conflict—about a man who saved millions of lives and became, at the same time, an object of worship as a god and of hatred as a devil. The film features a love story that transcends cultural conflicts; it simultaneously warms the heart and breaks it.”
The project’s producer on the Ukrainian side is Yegor Olesov, co-founder of United Heroes, known for his work on a number of successful Ukrainian and international films, including The Price of Truth, Zakhar Berkut, Mavka: The Forest Song, and others.
“It is important for us to be part of a project that brings Valdemar Havkin back into the international spotlight not only as a great scientist, but as a person whose story begins in Ukraine and yet belongs to the whole world. This is a film about science, dignity, prejudice, faith in the truth, love, and the price that a person who is ahead of their time sometimes pays,” notes Yegor Olesov.
The screenplay was written by British screenwriter Paul Twivey, who spent three years researching Hawkin’s story, including working with family archives. According to Twivey, Kapur’s experience in creating biographical dramas, particularly the film Elizabeth, makes him the ideal director for a story that combines deep character exploration, scientific discovery, romantic obsession, and sweeping historical upheavals.
The international production team also includes Jean-Daniel Zacharias of Curiosity Rights, Helen Getfield, and Alexandra Stone. Overall, the Foreign Bodies team brings together experience in prestigious independent cinema, auteur cinema, and projects with strong acting potential.
Casting for the lead roles is currently underway. The film’s creators emphasize that Hawkin’s story resonates particularly strongly today. The world has recently weathered a global pandemic, societies are once again facing a crisis of trust in science, and anti-Semitism and xenophobia remain painful challenges of our time. That is precisely why the story of a scientist who fought epidemics, imperial injustice, and the destructive power of prejudice takes on new meaning.
