Meeting my dad 12 years after his passing

For the past two years, I’ve been working on a film about my father, artist Vyacheslav Shraga. My parents divorced when I was five, and I barely knew him. Twelve years after his passing, I set out to understand him through the people who truly knew him — and through the complicated story of his life.
The process was an emotional roller coaster. I felt anger, admiration, grief, and awe — often all at once. He was a brilliant artist who inspired many, but also hurt those closest to him, including me.
The idea for this film followed me for years. It only took off after I met Tobias Hauri, a Zurich-based art collector who owns over 300 of dad’s works. He invited me to create this documentary as part of his research project.
Now the film is finished. What once felt impossible is done — and it feels good.

These days, I’m more and more drawn to capturing family stories. I do this a lot for humanitarian organizations and private clients through photography, interviews, and custom documentaries. There is always a certain urgency to it: “We should do this before it’s too late.”
If you know someone who feels the same, please send them my way.
And now, the movie: