“Many people have died in this struggle. I fight for them, too, and hope that I won’t face their fate. Never give up, never admit defeat: this is a fight for our dignity,” says one of the protagonists of A Colombian Family.

A Colombian Family tells the story of Ruby, who is fighting for the poorest people in Colombia, and her daughter Yira, who lives in exile in Cuba. The film dives deep into the complex story of their family relationships. But at the Travelling Docudays UA in Poltava and the region, the film screening became key to discussing more than just the issue of family relations.

“Human rights advocates often endanger their own freedom and even their lives. This film reveals the essence of the human rights work through the story of Ruby. She is purposeful and strong-willed. But even despite numerous threats, she continues to pursue her mission,” shared Oleg Kekalo, a volunteer for NGO Horizon Centre for Culture and Development.

“Although Ukraine has international human rights commitments, defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and other international treaties, human rights advocates are often under pressure, and their rights are violated,” emphasized Andriy Kinash, a representative of NGO MART and a tutor for the National Education Programme Understanding Human Rights.