A screening in complete silence. An evening so enjoyable that it continues with screening of another film. Unplanned travels, a wealth of sincerity, and a homely comfort. All of this happened to us in Prykarpattya.

Over the course of ten days, the festival managed to visit six cities and towns in the region: Ivano-Frankivsk, Tlumach, Tysmenytsia, Tatariv, Dolyna, and Nadvirna. We cherish our thoughts and memories of the most memorable events, reflected in the feedback from our regional coordinator, Tetyana Pihurska.

“It all started with a ‘quiet’ opening in Ivano-Frankivsk, where we invited people with hearing impairments to watch two films with descriptive subtitles in a warm atmosphere, by candlelight, with blankets and tea. We also conducted an experiment: we asked the rest of the audience to wear earplugs to experience, at least to some extent, what it’s like to watch a film without sound,” says Tetyana Pihurska. “It's wonderful that Docudays UA is focusing on accessibility. We received numerous responses and words of gratitude for the opportunity to watch documentaries with descriptive subtitles, as most content, e.g. films, news, videos and so on, remains inaccessible to the deaf.

I was moved by the fact that the viewers also stayed for the screening of The Kyiv Files and, after the general discussion, approached me to share their impressions and family stories.”

On the first day of the Travelling Docudays UA in Prykarpattya, many people did not want to leave, so we made adjustments to the program. In addition to the films Nelson the Pig and Boots on the Ground, Hands in the Soil, we also screened Girl Away From Home. According to the regional coordinator, this film became a favorite of the festival in the Ivano-Frankivsk region and resonated deeply with the young audience. After all, the story of Nastya and her trip abroad in early 2022 mirrors their own experiences.

“Somehow we focused on youths this year, and we had the most lively, interesting discussions with quite young viewers, such as twelve-year-old girls and boys in Nadvirna. Overall, it was very comfortable to work with young people: they are more engaged in communication, flexible and open to new ideas, and they notice things that we adults often overlook.”

Actually, the festival decided to come to Nadvirna after all the screenings had already been planned: the team received an invitation and simply could not refuse. “

The Travelling Festival is eagerly awaited in districts and small communities, as there are many active, interested young people who experience a lack of cultural and educational events,” says Tetyana. “That's why we try to bring at least part of the program to them and are always delighted to respond to proposals when we know they are waiting for us.”

“Additionally, we felt a special responsibility this time: our colleague Andriy Volyk, the regional coordinator of the NGO ‘STAN,’ is currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their organization was unable to join the festival. So this year, we were the sole organizers of the festival in the region.”

During these days, an event also took place at a rehabilitation center for military personnel and veterans, where discussions focused on the importance of preserving memory. A therapeutic tea party took place at a museum opened by a woman who had to evacuate from the Luhansk region. At the same time, several seminars were conducted with experts for parents and social workers on the topic of combating sexual abuse against children. However, the most important thing is that we cannot imagine the festival without watching numerous films that inspire us to think, engage in dialogue, and work towards changing the world around us for the better.

Author: Valeriya Sheremet, Communications Manager of the 21st Travelling Docudays UA.

The 21st Travelling Docudays UA is supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, and International Media Support. The opinions, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of respective governments or charitable organizations of these countries. The author(s) of this publication are solely responsible for its content.