Breaking down illusions is the theme of this year’s Docudays, the 13th International documentary film festival on human rights, which kicks off on March 25 and will last until April 1 at Kyiv Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.).
Festival goers will be able to see up to 93
films from 43 countries, as well as attend the screening of a documentary about
the lives of children who have experienced war, and a documentary photo
exhibition.
The films are to be screened in English with
Ukrainian subtitles. Besides Cinema House, festival films will be shown at
Kinopanorama, the Kyiv cinema, and the PinchukArtCenter. Entry for matinee
screenings (before 3 p.m.) is free. The price of a ticket for shows after 3
p.m. is Hr 20. Tickets can be brought online at www.docudays.org.ua. The highlights of the festival include:
Under the Sun
“Under the Sun,” a film by Russian documentary filmmaker and producer
Vitaly Mansky about life in North Korea, opens this year’s Docudays festival.
It tells the story of the life of a North Korean girl who prepares to enter the
children’s union and become a member of an “ideal society” under the rule of
the Great Leader, Kim II-sung.
In 2015, “Under the Sun” won the Best Central
and Eastern European Documentary Film award at the international documentary
film festival held in Jihlava, the Czech Republic. Last year the film also took
the special jury award at Black Nights, the international film festival held in
Tallinn, Estonia.
March 25th, 8 p.m. Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.), by
invitation only
March 26th, 12 p.m. Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.)
Alice in Warland
This film takes the form of the personal diary
of Alisa Kovalenko, a 26-year-old Ukrainian film director and documentary
filmmaker. An active EuroMaidan revolution participant, Kovalenko soon finds
herself on the checkpoints of Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region. The young woman
faces the challenge of making tough choices as tragic historical events unfold.
March 28, 9 p.m. Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.)
March 29, 1 p.m. Kinopanorama (19 Shota Rustaveli St.), free entry
The Show of Shows
The famous Icelandic director Benedikt
Erlingsson blends archive and amateur footage of the world’s most famous circus
shows in his film, “The Show of Shows.” Exciting shots of circus performances
will keep viewers on the edges of their seats, but some of the footage,
including shots of cruelty to animals and children, is disturbing. Erlingsson
eschews spoken narration in his documentary, with the music of an Icelandic
rock-band performing this function wordlessly but with emotion.
March 30th, 9.30 p.m. Kyiv Cinema(19 Velyka Vasylkivska St.)
March 27th, 9.30 p.m. Cafe L’Étage Restaurant (16a Shota
Rustaveli St.) pre- registration needed
People Who Came to Power
This documentary by Ukrainian filmmaker
Oleksiy Radynski was shot in the spring of 2014 in the Donbas region. The movie
focuses on the reasons eastern Ukraine descended into the abyss of a war.
March 29th, 7 p.m.Kinopanorama(19 Shota Rustaveli St.)
March 30th, 11 a.m.
Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.)
Dancing for You
This film is about the power of hope. Vilde, a
12-year-old girl, lives in the middle in Gransherad, Norway, among the forests
of Telemark county. Despite being a girl, she is a talented performer of the
hallingdans, a Norwegian solo folk dance usually performed by young men. Vilde
believes that her dances will help her beloved grandfather, who is fighting
cancer, to live longer. And she dances for him.
March 26th, 1 p.m.
Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.)
Gregorian Syndrome. Part Three
The film touches upon the themes of love,
betrayal and responsibility. Lovers Fenik and Alina, the movies’ main
characters, are alcoholics who live on the fringes of society. Both have
children and plan to live together with their kids. But Alina’s betrayal
changes everything, and the couple’s plans for a shared and happy future
collapse.
March 29th, 11 a.m. Cinema House (6 Saksahanskoho St.)
March 28th, 7 p.m. Kinopanorama (19 Shota Rustaveli St.)
