In a rapidly changing world, sometimes it takes just one story — raw, honest, with all its breaks, falls, and rises — to remind us: courage changes everything. The story of Polina Herman is one of those. It’s the story of a woman who journeyed from a small town in Crimea to the red carpets of international film festivals; from family trauma to inner wholeness; from a desire to escape to the conscious choice to be present everywhere. A citizen of the world.
Polina was born in Mykolaiv and moved to Yevpatoria, Crimea, at the age of six. She spent her entire childhood and youth there — studying, getting married, giving birth to her son, going through a divorce, and facing unsuccessful attempts at running a business. Yevpatoria always felt too small for her big dreams — not physically, but internally. It was a place she had longed to leave since childhood. And the moment she found the courage to start living independently, she seized it.
Moving to Kyiv was not an escape but a choice. The capital didn’t greet her with red carpets — but with challenges. Dorm life with a child, no stability, a constant struggle to stay afloat. But within those walls, she found her strength-through creativity. Working in theater and staging performances, including the iconic Black Square in the Dark, which entered the Ukrainian Book of Records, were her first steps toward her greatest passion — cinema.
Polina had always been drawn to psychology and art. As a schoolgirl, she participated in drama clubs, filmed short videos, and experimented with self-expression. In Kyiv, she not only worked but also studied — marketing, PR, and communications. She learned how to create cultural products and craft stories. Her path was not linear — it was a mosaic composed of theater, video art, student festivals, photo projects, and independent initiatives.
She started from the very bottom: bringing extras to film sets, then becoming a costume assistant, later the “girl with tea”, a production runner, and an assistant. She studied the industry from the inside. And the deeper she immersed herself, the clearer it became: she didn’t want to simply be part of the team — she wanted to create. To invent. To shape meaning.
That’s how UP UA Studio was born — her first production company in Kyiv. Her films weren’t about gloss and glamour — they were about pain, complex topics, and the silence where human truth resides. She produced films not for entertainment, but for reflection. Among them: Numbers by Oleg Sentsov and Akhtem Seitablaiev, The Price of Conflict, King Lear: Searching for Love During the War, and others. She learned how to balance creativity and management — and that became her strength.
In 2022, when the full-scale war began, Polina evacuated with her son to the U.S. — in search of safety and new opportunities. No English, no connections. But with a deep inner intention: not just to survive, but to be of service. In Los Angeles, she remembered telling a friend years earlier: “I don’t know how, but I’ll end up in Hollywood”. Five years later — there she was.
Studying at UCLA Extension and becoming a member of the prestigious Producers Guild of America — these were not trophies but tools. Polina founded UP USA Studio, which quickly gained a reputation as a trusted partner. In just three years, she produced six short films in Los Angeles, shot three documentaries in Europe, wrote the psychological book A Guide for Provincial Girls, created a self-discovery game of the same name, developed a transformational lingerie brand, led coaching sessions, marathons, retreats, and explored the subconscious mind.
Everything she does is about self-acceptance. In 2024, Polina survived a serious car accident. That moment became a turning point. She realized that in order to fully show up in the world, she had to accept all parts of herself. Producer, coach, writer, mother, manager, leader — not contradictions, but a unified whole. From that point on, she stopped hiding pieces of herself — and became whole.
Today, she holds a U.S. Green Card as an “extraordinary person”, officially recognized by the U.S. government. She lives across three continents — Los Angeles, Bali, and Ukraine — works across time zones, and develops multiple projects at once. She is a global citizen who never loses her connection to her roots. For her, it’s essential that the world not only hears about Ukraine — but truly understands it.
She organizes Ukrainian Film Days in Los Angeles, presents Ukrainian films to American audiences, and introduces Ukrainian filmmakers to the global industry. At the same time, she is preparing English-language versions of A Guide for Provincial Girls, hosts online retreats for producers, and develops new practical tools for self-awareness. Her projects aren’t just meaningful — they are therapeutic. For herself and for others.
But her most significant professional milestone to date is the film Divia. It’s more than a film — it’s a manifesto. A documentary about ecology, about the truth that there is no Planet B. About the fragility of the human world and the strength of the feminine voice. The film premiered in 2025 at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival — one of Europe’s most prestigious Class A festivals.
A packed 1,130-seat hall. Long ovations. Powerful reviews in leading publications including Variety, Cineuropa, and Screen International. The film is already Ukraine’s official Oscar submission. Next stop — Sarajevo, then the U.S. premiere and a global festival run. Polina and her team are actively negotiating with distributors in North America and Europe.
It was her breakthrough — but not her last. In parallel, she is working on her directorial debut, The Key — a project that weaves together the personal and the universal, pain and hope. She is now seeking producers, partners, and investors — and is open to bold international collaborations.
Polina doesn’t believe in quick success. She believes in depth. In discipline. In combining feminine intuition with producer-level precision.
“I no longer have to choose who to be. I already am all of it. And I can share it with others”, she says.
Her story is not about luck — it’s about conscious choices and determination. About the strength to find meaning even in crisis — and turn that meaning into action. Her films are about truth. Her coaching is about the journey. Her life is about the freedom to be yourself.
Her approach combines feminine intuition and strategic vision. She is not afraid to be vulnerable — and that honesty resonates with audiences worldwide. Her films are not just stories — they are spaces for reflection. Her book and game are tools for deep self-exploration. And her life is proof that true transformation begins with the courage to be yourself.
