This autumn we will present ten powerful, inspiring film stories from around the world, selected from the program of the 22nd International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA, in towns and villages across 19 regions of Ukraine. We will talk about human rights and dignity in times of war, about memory and justice, about the readiness to take responsibility and create the future.

Svitlana Smal, Executive Director of Docudays NGO

The main focus is on our people – Ukrainians, their inner strength to keep fighting, resist the enemy, and cooperate daily. The concept of the 22nd Docudays UA was presented by Docudays NGO Executive Director Svitlana Smal:

“Every year, when we think about the theme of the festival, we try to highlight something especially important and fundamental, something that resonates with our society. This time we focused on participatory democracy – democracy that involves the direct participation of citizens, each of us, in the life of our communities and the state. That is, when we not only delegate decision-making to the authorities but also join in adopting them, shaping change, and are ready to adjust this course when needed. We brought all this together in the title ‘Rare Resource’.”

This year’s Travelling Docudays UA is dedicated to the memory of Tetiana Kulyk, Coordinator of the Network Development Department at Docudays NGO

For the Travelling Festival, the rare resource was its coordinator, Tetiana Kulyk – a person who put her big heart into the festival and helped others feel the strength within themselves to do important things. Her life was suddenly cut short on July 29, the day we had planned to discuss, among other things, this seminar. The 22nd Travelling Docudays UA will be dedicated to Tetiana’s bright memory.

Alla Tyutyunnyk, Director of the Strategic Development Department of Docudays NGO

“She was a pillar of support for many of us. Tanya had so much love and care for people. You wanted to talk with her because she listened, understood, and always supported you,” this is how warmly Tetiana is remembered by Alla Tyutyunnyk, Director of the Strategic Development Department of the Docudays NGO. “This quality was especially visible when she began working with the Docudays UA networks: she knew the life and pulse of each of the 400+ film clubs, could dispel fears, inspire and embolden, and thus revive inactive film clubs. The same was true with the Travelling Festival. It is a special talent – to treat people the way Tanya did, connecting what seemed impossible to connect. I think her whole story is a story about love, because she deeply loved people, and people loved her in return.”

In wartime, human rights become more important than ever, and the Travelling Festival takes on special significance: our coordinators manage to organize screenings even in frontline and border regions. This year, three more NGOs joined the network: “IRC Legal Space,” “Ukrainian Antiquity,” and “Rivne Human Rights Group,” which will organize screenings and rights-education events in Kherson, Chernihiv, and Rivne regions. In total, 29 partner organizations will co-create the 22nd Travelling Docudays UA with us.

Over three days of training sessions, together with the management team and leading human rights defenders, regional coordinators of the Travelling Festival learned about the intricacies of legislation in the fields of personal data protection and copyright, discussed inclusive approaches, child rights protection at the festival, and explored participatory democracy as the cross-cutting theme of the 22nd Docudays UA, analyzing its practice and prospects, pros and cons, specific cases in EU states and in Ukraine, and more.

Oleksandr Pavlichenko, Board Member of Docudays NGO, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

Today, according to Docudays NGO Board Member and Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union Oleksandr Pavlichenko, citizen participation in the life of communities and the state is relevant for most democracies of the world and, more than ever, for Ukraine.

“Participatory democracy is the main form of public involvement in decision-making processes, the ability to influence and control power – both at the local and state level,” explains Oleksandr Pavlichenko. “We may be dissatisfied with many things happening in Ukraine, but this is truly a democratic state and we have many positives, especially in the context of participation: its forms are enshrined in law, implemented in relevant practices and state policies. The latest example was July 22, 2025, when protests for preserving the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecution showed a vivid example of action – a peaceful process that influenced decision-making at the national level.”

Among the guests of the seminar were also representatives of the Docudays NGOʼs reliable partners – the European Commission and the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, whose support makes the festival and other cultural-educational projects possible.

Vasyl Romanyuk, Project Cooperation Coordinator at the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine

“To have the privilege of being part of such a strong, talented, and inspired community is truly a great honor. Thank you for your resilience and steadfastness! What you are doing in these circumstances, in this country, in this society, is probably the most important and valuable work you have ever done,” said Vasyl Romanyuk, Project Cooperation Coordinator at the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine. “Docudays UA is a kind of springboard for bringing Ukrainian and other debut works to the global stage. It allows raising important issues and drawing attention to the Ukrainian question from different angles, with different artistic tools. This is the banner you can carry high and proudly.”

Asier Santillán, Head of the “European Integration, Governance and Rule of Law, Civil Society” Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine

Docudays UA is much more than just a film festival. It is a powerful platform for dialogue, reflection, and action,” says Asier Santillán, Head of the “European Integration, Governance and Rule of Law, Civil Society” Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine. “This year’s theme, ‘Rare Resource,’ is incredibly timely and very powerful. It draws attention to the complex political events we are living through, but it also speaks of the most important resource – the Ukrainian people, your resilience, steadfastness, unity, and dedication to building a democratic future. With your support, we have been able to implement a huge number of national-level projects. In particular, we have grown a network of 450 wonderful film clubs and preserved over 20 million documented materials on war events in the Ukraine War Archive. Together, we will continue to tell stories that truly matter.

So what will we watch at the 22nd Travelling Festival? The feature debut of Irish director Gar O’Rourke Sanatorium about Odesa’s medical and recreational facility Kuyalnyk during the war and the sources of our resources – the film Ireland is submitting to the Oscars. The film A Land of Paper by Marion Boé about the importance of empathy and humanity in any endeavor. A poignant film confession about memory by young Dutch director Maarten de Schutter My Sweet Child. Exploration and reflection on history in Igor Bezinović’s Fiume o Morte! – a film that will also compete for a nomination for the 2025 Oscar from Croatia. On taking life and circumstances into your own hands, two films will speak – Glass, My Unfulfilled Life by director Rogier Kappers and My Sextortion Diary by Patricia Franquesa.

 
In the short film selection, we have two Ukrainian films: How I Spent My Summer Holidays by Antonio Lukich and Where’s My Body Armor? by Darya Penkova. And also stories close to our context – Kevin Macdonald’s Last Song from Kabul and Nathan Fegan’s Inside, The Valley Sings.

Yuliia Kovalenko, Director of the Programming Department, Docudays NGO

“Each film in this year’s program is a true golden treasure and indeed a rare resource. They are fascinating to watch, they inspire deep conversations and strong human rights discussions,” says Docudays NGOʼs Program Director Yuliia Kovalenko. “We are especially glad that every year we have the opportunity to feature high-quality Ukrainian cinema, which has significantly improved in recent years. This is noted not only by us but also by foreign colleagues. We hope the films will resonate with many viewers.”

Anastasiia Bahalika, Director of the Human Rights Department, Docudays NGO

Among the most pressing topics we want to discuss at the Travelling Festival in the RIGHTS NOW! program are the rehabilitation and reintegration of Ukrainians who have returned from Russian captivity – both military and civilian – as well as child protection from online sexual violence, with concrete cases presented by psychologists and lawyers. Another important part of the human rights program, according to Docudays NGOʼs Human Rights Department Director Anastasiia Bahalika, will be the “Living Library” events, where “books” will be people with extraordinary life experiences, stories of overcoming the challenges of war, stigma, and discrimination.

Team and Partners of the 22nd Travelling Docudays UA

This year’s Travelling Festival will tour the country during October–November, so follow our updates on the website and social media – soon we will share all the details. For now, let’s be inspired by the seminar impressions and get ready to plan our bright regional festivals!

Photo: Serhiy Khandusenko and Darya Padenko. See more photos in our gallery.

The 22nd Travelling Docudays UA is held with the financial support of the European Union, the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, and International Media Support. The views, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the governments, or charitable organizations of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies solely with its authors.