From Bomb Shelters to Hollywood Scores: The Astonishing Journey of Dariya Letto and Collaboration with Filmmaker Shane Stanley

LOS ANGELES, July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a world where survival is a victory and art is a defiant act of hope, Ukrainian based composer and psychologist Dariya Letto emerges as a force of quiet, cinematic strength. Her extraordinary story is inspiring. Poised to make her full-length film scoring debut and with a development deal for a biopic based on her life, Letto is fast becoming a name to watch in international film and music circles.

Raised in Donetsk, Ukraine, Letto began her music studies at an early age under the mentorship of esteemed Ukrainian composer Vladimir Stetsenko, who recognized in her a rare cinematic flair and encouraged her to pursue her calling and passion to score Hollywood motion pictures. Her artistic journey was abruptly interrupted in 2014 when Russian forces invaded her hometown, forcing her to flee with her young daughter. She left behind everything-including her parents, who refused to abandon their home in occupied territory.

She rebuilt her life in Pokrovsk, but when war returned in 2022 and her home was destroyed, she fled again, this time to Kyiv, then eventually to Montenegro. 

Through heartbreak, displacement, and personal tragedy Letto, including the long-term care of a seriously ill loved one, paused her musical work. Her return came with the encouragement of a dear friend, Taras, who recognized the depth of her talent. His tragic death in the war would later inspire several of her most moving compositions. 

In a war-torn Kyiv, amid blackouts, sirens, and trauma, Letto created three cinematic albums with CTS Records, LTD in Ukraine and she courageously released her fourth album independently, marking a bold step in reclaiming her voice and creative autonomy.

Her cinematic sensibilities and haunting soundscapes caught the attention of multi–Emmy^® Award-winning filmmaker Shane Stanley, who invited her to lend additional scores for scenes in his upcoming films Six Days in Evergreen and The Legend of Van Dorn, which both debuted at the 78^th Cannes Film Festival this past May. Her work also recently appeared in the Thai feature film Burning Rain, further cementing her status as an emerging global composer.

In 2025, her stunning compositions "Ascension" and "Time" were honored by the Global Music Awards, each earning the prestigious Bronze Medal.

Most recently, Letto signed a development deal for her life story with Visual Arts Entertainment to be adapted into a feature film - a harrowing, poetic, and ultimately redemptive tale of war, motherhood, survival, and purpose. Letto's story doesn't stop at music. She holds degrees in both musicology and psychology and continues to use both to change lives through the power of sound and empathy.

Drawing from this dual expertise in music and mental health, she developed "psychocorrectional" therapy for soldiers suffering from trauma, melding original musical compositions with psychological recovery techniques. The method is currently in the process of being patented.

With her upcoming projects, including her first full-length feature score and original music for an audiobook by a best-selling author, Letto's story is only just beginning. 

Dariya Letto is not just a composer. She's a survivor. A mother. A healer. And now, an unstoppable creative force on the global stage.

For interview opportunities or more information please contact: Emily Allan, [email protected] 

IMdB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16820382

Media Contact:

Andrea McKinnon

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SOURCE Shane Stanley