From the Kuyalnyk Estuary to a Frankivsk Spring: How People Watched Sanatorium in Ivano-Frankivsk
From the Kuyalnyk Estuary to a Frankivsk Spring: How People Watched Sanatorium in Ivano-Frankivsk
Despite the late hour, the screening brought together people of all ages, from students to older viewers. One attendee, a guest from Kyiv, admitted she came to the screening just before her train’s departure:
“I wanted to catch at least this film. It was interesting to see how the director perceives something so familiar to us: sanatoriums that exist in their own time dimension.”
A time machine on an estuary shore
The screening began in a cosy atmosphere, in dim lighting, with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The screen shows scenes from the life of the Kuyalnyk Sanatorium. The audience responded with quiet smiles, surprise, and empathy.The screening was immediately followed by a discussion.
“The director managed to show a cross-section of society that seems to have been preserved in this space,” said one of the viewers. “People come here not only for the treatments but also for the feeling of the past, for the peace they once had. The sanatorium is a time machine.”
The main attraction for visitors, as noted by the discussion participants, is not the old buildings or Soviet-era procedures, but the Kuyalnyk Estuary itself with its healing mud. However, the water body is becoming shallower, and along with it, not only nature is disappearing but also a part of the human stories connected with this place.
From the sanatorium to a spring: The environment nearby
The theme of the film unexpectedly resonates with the local reality of Ivano-Frankivsk. Environmental activist Tamara Kundelska shared her observation with the audience: Ukraine is gradually losing its bodies of water — not only because of climate change but also due to people’s irresponsible attitude.
One example is the spring in the central park of Ivano-Frankivsk, well known to local residents. Until recently, people collected drinking water there, but now the path is fenced off with tape: residential construction is underway nearby.
“During the construction, the soil layers that nourished the groundwater were removed. Now the spring is polluted, and the city risks losing it,” the environmentalist explained.
Viewers agreed: the problem is well known, but the community’s response is still insufficient. On social media, activists have already shared reports about a new lake that has formed near the construction site. The developer explains it as rainfall, but environmentalists have a different view: they say it is the destruction of the aquifer.
Films that provoke us to act
The screening of Sanatorium became an opportunity not only to watch a film but also to see our own reality through a documentary lens. From the Kuyalnyk Estuary to the Frankivsk spring — these are stories about shared responsibility, about the ability to listen to the earth and protect it.
Time will tell whether the discussion will grow into concrete actions. But one thing is certain: after meetings like this one, people go home with new thoughts, and sometimes also with the determination to act.
Author: Tetiana Pihurska
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 correspond to the views of the European Union, the governments or charities of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies solely on its authors.
