The Kyiv Files
In Ukraine, the Soviet KGB archive containing countless files reporting observations, has been made accessible to the public. What happens to you once you find out that the state has been watching you for years? A dissident Ukrainian woman, a Dutch amateur spy and a French tourist betrayed 50 years ago by her ‘lover’, are confronted with their own files in the archive.
The film reveals a time when the paranoia of the Soviet regime penetrated deep into the fibres of individuals’ personal lives, highlighting the impact of paranoia and mistrust. Through their stories we are reminded of the importance of transparency, accountability, and the protection of individual
rights in any society.
Born in 1966, Walter Stokman studied film at the Art Academy in Breda, the Netherlands. Since 1993 he has made several documentary films, including one about funk musician Sly Stone (Let me have it all) and one about black pop stars (Can’t u hear me singin’). Since 1997 he has also worked as a freelance director for the Dutch TV station VPRO.
His work received international recognition when he won Best Documentary at the Brooklyn International Film Festival in 2003 and when he won the Dutch ‘Golden Calf’ for his documentary film ASH worldwide suicide (2002). In 2022, his films Lazy Duck and Privégesprekken have been released by Zeppers Film.