From November 5 to 20, Chornomorsk hosted the Travelling Docudays UA for the second time. We managed to gather over 1000 festival participants, including preschoolers, young people, teachers, internally displaced persons, and the elderly.

Within the framework of the festival, our regional coordinator in Chornomorsk organised a total of 14 events within the festival, 13 film screenings, and the opening and closing ceremonies in collaboration with representatives of local authorities, youth, and public organisations in the city. This year’s Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk had a strong focus on creativity, aiming to involve children and young people in the screening and discussion of documentary films. Online screenings also attracted viewers from Berdiansk.

Ten films graced the festival, accompanied by an exhibition of 118 children’s drawings and performances by creative groups. The audience also attended workshops on art therapy and intuitive drawing, creatively reflecting on the films, including through musical improvisation on the guitar. A total of nine locations were involved, with the support of 11 partners.

Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk

During the Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk, we sparked conversations about future visions and film impressions through activities like art therapy, musical improvisation, and a children’s drawing exhibition. After screening The Killing of a Journalist (directed by Matt Sarnecki), we had young viewers, particularly kids from the Flageolet guitar chamber orchestra at the Chornomorsk Centre for Out-of-School Education, share their thoughts through guitar improvisation. The film intrigued them, resulting in vibrant and diverse musical expressions that you can check out here.

In another session, regional coordinators hosted a creative workshop on intuitive drawing and art therapy following the film Forest, Forest (directed by Maria Stoianova). It was tailored for 12 teachers and two journalists, who, while drawing sakura trees, reflected on their own visions of the future.

Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk

The exhibition of 118 children’s drawings, themed Images of the Future for this year’s festival, provided insight into how children perceive the future. The exhibition drew more than 600 visitors.

A total of 10 films were screened in Chornomorsk, including The Killing of a Journalist, Forest, Forest, Waking Up in Silence, Ramboy, 89 Days, Under the Wing of a Night, Guests from Kharkiv, Our Robo Family, Second Wind, and Unconquered Kherson.

The festival program and post-screening discussions touched upon the issue of state-building in Ukraine, emphasizing the significance of the seven Lugano principles. Chornomorsk, among other Ukrainian cities, has been subjected to shelling by the Russian aggressor this year. Hence, the conversation about reconstruction strategies based on transparency and community participation in recovery is especially relevant for the residents.

Here, we share the participants’ feedback about the Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk:

“Documentary cinema is important and challenging for both filmmakers and viewers. However, without it, we cannot have a full picture of the present. It is this nuanced and detailed portrayal of the present that we pass on to future generations. That’s why I believe the Travelling Docudays UA is immensely important for our city and the entirety of Ukraine,” shared Yulia Kristanova, the head of the culture department of the Chornomorsk city council.

Viacheslav Maiorsky, a teacher at the Chornomorsk Lyceum whose students joined the screenings, also commented on this year's festival: “Every film in the Travelling Docudays UA is a revelation, providing an opportunity for reflection. Thank you again and again for the opportunity to engage with the art of documentary filmmaking.”

“I anticipate that these films will be able to teach young people, students of our city, to respect each other. Perhaps, after watching these films, someone might be inspired to pursue a future profession, aligning their lives with international law or relations,” remarked Alina Khomenko, a representative of the School of Leaders in Chornomorsk.

Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk

On November 20, the final screening of the film Forest, Forest and the closing ceremony of the festival took place. During the event, the festival coordinator Oleh Okhredko expressed gratitude to all the partners who supported the Travelling Docudays UA in Chornomorsk and helped to spread interest in documentary cinema among the city’s residents. 

The 20th Travelling Docudays UA is supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, and the US Embassy in Ukraine. The opinions, conclusions, or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the governments, charities, or companies of these countries. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of its authors.