Ukrainian Film Night

We were invited to host an evening of film by Maryna Dovbysh, whom we have worked with before in her capacity as Ukraine Support Worker for Help and Kindness.

Maryna wanted to share with our community a film from the Culture vs War series* which she thought would help people understand the circumstances in Ukraine that had forced people to find a safe place here in North Dorset.

The Deputy Mayor represented Shaftesbury at the event.

Virginia Edwyn-Jones, Deputy Mayor of Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury Refugee Group Trustee, Stuart Twiss introduced the Deputy Mayor and Maryna.

Maryna spent a moment introducing the film and the context.

We were joined by Ukrainian friends who treated an audience of hosts, volunteers and friends of the charity to delicious borscht and home made bread with sour cream and salo.

The film prompted strong emotions and a discussion about the importance of culture, how culture can be a way of defining the future or weaponised based on a subjective view of the past.

Maryna hopes to bring more films to North Dorset in the future and we have agreed to support her and host them locally.

Notes:

“CULTURE VS WAR” is an artistic study about Ukrainian artists who defend their country and create new meanings within Ukrainian culture.

Artists protected and preserved Ukrainian culture for centuries. And now they stand side by side with all citizens. The “CULTURE VS WAR” project is the voice of creators who retain the ability to feel and act bravely despite all the horrors of war.

The full-length film “Culture vs War” is a documentary telling the stories of the heroes, from evidence and their first-person worldview.

The full-length film of the project, in addition to the heroes of the film’s stories, includes: Mykhaylo Illienko (film director, volunteer), Dmytro Linartovych (actor, Armed Forces of Ukraine defender), Yevhen Nyshchuk (actor, Armed Forces of Ukraine defender), and Yaroslav Pilunskyi (cinematographer, Armed Forces of Ukraine defender) and others.

https://culturevswar.org.ua/en/

*Created by the Association "Promoting the development of cinema in Ukraine - watch Ukrainian!" with the support of the European Union in Ukraine, the MHP-Community Foundation and Babylon Company.

*The full-length film "Culture vs. War" was produced within the framework of the "Culture vs. War" complex project, which includes 6 short documentaries, and photo exhibitions

Thanks to Jamie Randalll of Randall Photos for the images.