The 22nd edition of #Docudays UA# International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival opens with a powerful statement on this year’s central theme: «Rare Resource.» Inspired by Ukraine’s recent geopolitical agreements on rare earth metals, the theme moves beyond material extraction to explore the irreplaceable human, cultural, and ecological riches of the country.

Leading the programme is Sanatorium, a new documentary by Irish filmmaker Gar O’Rourke, which examines the historic Kuyalnyk resort in the Odesa region. Once famed across Europe for its healing properties, Kuyalnyk becomes a metaphor in the film for the unmined, living resources of Ukraine: its medical workers.

This year’s Rare Resource programme includes An American Pastoral by Auberi Edler, Oasis by Tamara Uribe and Felipe Morgado, A Land of Paper by Marion Boé, and The Soldier’s Lagoon by Pablo Álvarez Mesa. Together with the filmmakers, Docudays UA will host a series of public discussions on how resources — from natural landscapes to civic participation — can be mobilised to build societies rooted in participatory democracy.

The visual identity of this year’s edition draws on the aesthetics of Ukrainian folk naïve art,emphasisingg natural beauty, sincerity, and cultural vitality. Designed by artist #Dasha Podoltseva# in collaboration with visual artist #Oleksandr Hrekhov#, the festival poster is a vibrant tribute to Ukraine’s abundance and artistic spirit, with everyday objects — a loaf of bread, a watermelon, a bouquet — transformed into emblems of love, fertility, and creative resistance.

The festival runs from 6 to 12 May in Kyiv, with screenings, discussions, and workshops aimed at fostering dialogue, resilience, and a vision for Ukraine grounded in justice and shared responsibility.