Kateryna Gornostai was born in Lutsk, Ukraine in 1989. She has graduated from both journalism and documentary film, the latter degree being from the Marina Razbezhkina and Mikhail Ugarov School of Documentary Film and Theatre in Moscow. Besides her work on film Gornostai is a professor in the Mohyla School of Journalism in Kiev.

In December 2013, when the demonstrations in Maidan square started, Gornostai interrupted her studies and headed back to Kiev to shoot the events in the capital. As a result, two short documentaries of hers were chosen for Euromaidan. Rough Cut collection of short documentaries which weaves together some of the incidents that took place during the three months. Most directors of the film are young talents like Gornostai for whom the work on Maidan square has been the first major work as a director.

Kateryna Gornostai in Helsinki 31st January – 1st February.