We invite you to a unique event that is part of the 22nd Travelling Docudays UA, whose theme is Rare Resource: a special screening of the opening film Sanatorium, about the legendary health resort in the Odesa region, held within the very walls of Kuyalnyk itself.

The debut feature-length documentary by Irish director Gar O’Rourke, which is already highly recognised internationally, observes life at a renowned health centre on the outskirts of Odesa during the war and the tireless work of its staff who care above all for the comfort and health of their visitors. This sanatorium, located by a salty mud estuary and marked by 1970s architecture and Soviet-era treatments, is a place where not only the body but also the soul is healed. Here, people strive to mend their wounds, regain their strength, and, despite the air raids and explosions, find peace, love, and hope.

Through the sanatorium’s vivid atmosphere, the film reveals a portrait of Ukrainian society that continues to fight, dream, love, grieve, and plan its life. It is people themselves, and their resilience in these challenging times, who are among our truly rare and precious resources.

The world premiere of Sanatorium took place at this year’s CPH:DOX film festival in Copenhagen, and its Ukrainian premiere was held at the 22nd Docudays UA in June in Kyiv. Over the past year, the film has also been featured at festivals in Nyon (Switzerland), Edinburgh (Scotland), Melbourne (Australia), and Galway (Ireland). Ireland has submitted the film for the American Academy Awards in the category of Best International Feature Film. The final nominees for one of the most prestigious international film awards will be announced on 22 January 2026. We, however, will screen the film for the first time in the very place where it was made — as part of the 22nd Travelling Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in the Odesa Region.

Join us on Tuesday, 14 October, at 2:00 p.m. for the screening and discussion of the documentary Sanatorium at the Palace of Culture of the Pyrohov Clinical Sanatorium (Kuyalnyk resort), located in Odesa at 170 Lymanna Street.

Taking part in the Q&A discussion after the screening will be members of the film’s creative team, casting producer Iryna Kyporenko and casting director and fixer Serhii Solodko, as well as the protagonists of the film: the staff and guests of Kuyalnyk who took part in the filming. The discussion will be moderated by Oleh Okhredko, regional coordinator of the Travelling Docudays UA in the Odesa Region and analyst and expert at the Almenda Centre for Civic Education.

Admission is free.

For more detailed information, arranging interviews, or any other questions, please email us at [email protected], or call +38 (073) 350-44-50.

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 opinions, conclusions, or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, the governments or charities of these countries. Responsibility for the contents of the publication lies solely on its authors.

Docudays is a non-profit non-governmental organisation which realises cultural and educational projects on the intersection of cinema and human rights in Ukraine and abroad. These projects include the Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival and the Travelling Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, the DOCU/CLUB Network of Human Rights Media Education Film Clubs, the RIGHTS NOW! Human Rights Programme, the DOCUSPACE Online Cinema, the DOCU/PRO Platform for the development of the Ukrainian film industry and the DOCU/CLASS Documentary Workshop, the DOCU/SYNTHESIS Interdisciplinary Art Programme, and the Ukraine War Archive, launched in cooperation with the INFOSCOPE initiative.