Optimistic Immigrants is a multi-media event building on the themes of Eastern European exile, immigration and integration seen in Optimistic Production’s feature film ‘How to Re- Establish a Vodka Empire.’ London is a city built on migration stories from far and wide and from documentary to performance poetry ‘Optimistic Immigrants’ examines the diverse and creative ways people find to tell their own or give voice to other’s stories of migration, home and arrival. Since its inaugural event as part of TINAG Festival 2008 hosted at Guestroom it has had numerous outings – as part of East End Film Festival 2008, TINAG Festival 2009, UCL Urban Film Society, The Poetry Cafe and London Jewish Museum. Article by Sukhdev Sandhu about the project here.
Just as the two swallows that came to be the symbol and logo of Optimistic Immigrant events then became the basis of our vodka bottle design, Optimistic Immigrants continues as Zorokovich 1917 Vodka’s event program develops in 2012 after a wonderful night at 33 Chatsworth Road with Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants for Christmas 2011. The vodka emerged as the ‘How to Re-Establish a Vodka Empire’ film was produced and keeps the same ethos and aims – a fledgling brand built from a story of migration and committed to supporting artistic output from, specifically, eastern European migrants. Look out for vodka and cocktail fuelled, theatrical, musical, atmospheric events – keep up to date by joining the facebook page.
