Laurent Stoop has a degree in literature and photography. Just after the end of the Soviet Union he moved to Moscow and worked as a freelance photographer with the photo agency Lookat. In 1995 he founded the production company Mayak-Film. Since then he worked as DOP for various television and feature documentaries, including the award winning and critically acclaimed CITIZEN KHODORKOVSKY (2016).

Svetlana Rodina graduated in philology in Kazan and later in film directing in Moscow. She has worked as a reporter and host for various TV programmes on the RTR channel. In 2011 she became editor-in-chief of the documentary department of one of the largest production companies in Russia; United Media Group. Since 2006 she has primarily worked as a script writer and director for documentaries.