'If you cast the right personality, with the right energy for the role you are off to a good start.' 'Ninety percent of a director’s job is casting,' said Rebane. While in Moscow, Rebane came across Diana Pozharskaya, a Russian actress and dancer, who he believed had the right energy to play the part. Zagorodnii, who's been in a couple of Russian stage productions, was hesitant about taking on the role, citing his limited English. Oleg Zagorodnii, a Ukrainian actor, was then cast to play the role of Roman Matvejev. Prior was first approached to play Sergey Serebrennikov before becoming involved in the writing process. Rebane and Prior interviewed Fetisov before his death in 2017 to gain materials for the film's production.

Rebane collaborated with actor and screenwriter Tom Prior, who was previously in The Theory of Everything and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Peeter Rebane first came across the story of Firebird in 2014 when Sergei Lavrentiev, film critic and actor, gave him a copy of The Story of Roman by Sergey Fetisov. He returns to his life as an actor in Moscow and is last seen watching a production of Igor Stravinsky's ballet, The Firebird, which Roman had introduced him to. After his death, Sergey visits Luisa, who is still very angry at him. Later, Roman is assigned to participate in the Soviet–Afghan War, where he is killed. She is enraged at both Roman and Sergey by this revelation and the two men must part. However, Luisa and their son come to Moscow for Christmas and Roman and Sergey's love is revealed to her. He secretly rents an apartment with Sergey and they cohabit happily and take vacations together. Roman leaves his wife and son ostensibly to study in Moscow. Roman and Luisa have a child together, but their marriage is a sham, and he continues to yearn for Sergey. He attends and barely contains his disappointment in Roman and continuing love for him. A year after Sergey leaves and finds a new life in the theater, he is invited to Roman and Luisa's wedding. Roman encourages Sergey to study acting in Moscow instead of returning to his family's farm when he leaves the service. Nonetheless, they consummate their attraction to one another and are nearly found out by a KGB agent. An undeniable passion between them develops, despite the threat of imprisonment that hangs over homosexual romances under the Soviet regime. He is assigned to assist a new fighter pilot, Roman, when he arrives. He appears to have a budding romance with Luisa, the secretary to the base commander, and he indulges in a photography hobby that is barely tolerated by his superiors. He and his friends bristle under the tight control of the military commanders. Sergey, a young private in the Soviet Air Force, has only a few weeks remaining in his military service.

The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States by Roadside Attractions on 29 April 2022. The film also screened at the 45th Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival on 27 June 2021, where it won an honorable mention for Best First Feature. įirebird had its world premiere at the 35th BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival on 17 March 2021. Set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War, it tells the true story of forbidden love between a private and a fighter pilot. The film stars Tom Prior (who also co-wrote and co-produced), Oleg Zagorodnii, and Diana Pozharskaya. Firebird is a 2021 romantic war drama film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Peeter Rebane (in his feature directorial debut), based on Sergey Fetisov's memoir The Story of Roman.

2022 firebird