Oleksandr Hoisan 2022 12 min Ukraine
Due to long-term observation of the NPCs (NonPlayable Characters) in the classic GTA: San Andreas (2004) video game the player witnesses certain documentary events that take place in different parts of the in-game world. To some extent, the constant movement which accompanies the playerobserver throughout the in-game space is the only salvation from arbitrariness on the streets but not always.
Oleksandr Hoisan (b. 2001, IvanoFrankivsk, Ukraine) is a filmmaker and visual artist whose work explores digital environments, contemporary cinema, and machinima. He holds both a bachelor’s (2022) and master’s degree (2024) in Film and Television Directing from the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. His early student films have been selected for over 100 national and international film festivals — including Oberhausen, FIDMarseille, Sarajevo Film Festival, BRNO16, and Molodist — receiving multiple awards. Hoisan is a member of Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema, the Ukrainian Guild of Directors, and the National Filmmakers Association of Ukraine. He is also the founder and program director of the Ivano-Frankivsk International Short Film Festival 4:3. His recent works explore non-narrative observational documentary forms, virtual cities, and the documentary potential of video games.