16 Aug 2026
Ep 6 Match in a Haystack
🎙️ In this episode, hosts Roxy and Zorianna interview filmmaker Joe Hill and producer Stefanie Noll to unpack their documentary Match in a Haystack. 🎥
💃 Their feature documentary follows a contemporary dance troupe in Ukraine navigating life in a war zone, grappling with the role of art during wartime while preparing for their first performance since the Russian invasion.
Joe and Stefanie share insights on the logistical challenges of filming in conflict zones, securing funding and distribution after the original company went bankrupt mid-shoot, and the notion of creative expression as an act of resistance during war. 🕊️ 🇺🇦
🎬 Match in a Haystack is currently available to watch on Roku, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming distribution platforms.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Match in a Haystack and its themes
01:56 The initial idea: documenting creation during war
04:06 Challenges of filming in Ukraine and securing funding
05:50 The significance of the front-line scene and emotional moments
07:57 The role of music and dance in storytelling
10:00 Safety, planning, and the realities of filming in conflict zones
11:59 Distribution journey of an independent conflict documentary
14:00 Collaborative process: directing movement and dance sequences
15:56 Music choices and working with Ukrainian artists
18:05 Building trust with subjects and capturing authentic moments
20:03 The emotional impact of creating art during war
21:54 The significance of the final performance and up-close filming
23:56 The power of community and support in independent filmmaking
25:54 The importance of cultural resilience and artistic expression
28:01 Closing thoughts and encouragement to viewers
Key topics
- Joe Hill explains that Match and Haystack began as an idea to document creation during wartime, not just destruction, with a focus on Ukrainian artists trying to make meaning through performance.
- Stefanie Noll shares how her background as a dancer, choreographer, and Ukrainian American shaped the film’s movement language and helped build trust with the performers.
- The team talks about how the project started as a Vice assignment, then had to be rebuilt independently after Vice declared bankruptcy mid-production.
- Joe describes the practical realities of filming in Ukraine on only 25 shooting days across two trips, then piecing together the film over roughly four months of post-production.
- The conversation goes deep on the film’s emotional center: a scene where one dancer visits her sister, a frontline soldier, to ask whether it is still right to dance during war.
- Stefanie and Joe both emphasize that the film treats dance as a universal form of expression, not just a visual flourish, and that the movement sequences are meant to function as narrative and emotional storytelling.
- They explain how the movement interviews were built in practice, with playlists, personal locations, two-camera setups, and prompts designed to draw out physical expression rather than scripted answers.
- Joe discusses the music strategy, which blends Ukrainian pop, club, folk, singer-songwriter work, and original composition by Ukrainian-American composer Katya Richardson.
- The team reflects on the difficult balance between safety and authenticity, including curfews, shelling, blackouts, and the strange contrast between everyday life and nearby violence.
- They also cover the film’s independent distribution path, including support from Misty Copeland, community screenings, and eventual availability across major platforms.
