This year’s Docudays UA (31 May – 6 June) festival features two compelling programmes: DOCU/UKRAINE and DOCU/ART. Each presents unique narratives that delve into the heart of resilience, identity, and the preservation of memory.
DOCU/UKRAINE: Chronicles of Resilience
The DOCU/UKRAINE programme features five films that vividly depict Ukraine’s struggle for independence and the challenges faced by its people.
Maria Stoianova’s Fragments of Ice explores Ukraine’s journey to statehood through her father’s VHS archives from the 1980s and 1990s, revealing the deep impacts of Russian colonisation.
Maksym Rudenko’s Elevation follows young sports school students in the Carpathians, paralleling Ukraine’s broader struggle for self-determination through their demanding training.
A Bit of a Stranger by Svitlana Lishchynska offers a personal exploration of identity through her family’s displacement from Mariupol, reflecting on their past and future amid the conflict.
In Nice Ladies, Mariia Ponomarova documents a cheerleading team of women aged 50+ from Kharkiv, highlighting their efforts to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the emotional scars of war.
Everything Must Live by Tetiana Dorodnitsyna and Andrii Lytvynenko tells the story of Anna Kurkurina, a powerlifting champion and animal rescuer in Mykolaiv, epitomising resilience and compassion amid the devastation of war.
DOCU/ART: The Quest for Memory
The DOCU/ART programme dives into the abstract realms of memory, exploring how individuals and societies strive to preserve and understand their past.
Elan Golod’s Nathan-ism recounts the story of Nathan Hilu, a US Army soldier who guarded Nazi leaders during the Nuremberg Trials, using «outsider art» to re-conceptualise his past.
David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s Kim’s Video investigates the fate of a beloved video rental store’s collection, exploring the impact of cinema on personal and collective memories.
Behind Closed Doors by João Pedro Bim uncovers recordings from Brazil’s National Security Council meeting in 1968, combining them with archival footage to reveal political repression strategies.
