The Mandivny Festival in the Kherson region will kick off with screenings and discussions of two documentary films: viewers will be able to choose between Olga Chernykh’s “The Illusion of a Quiet Night” and “Traces” by Alisa Kovalenko and Marisa Nikityuk. An introductory discussion dedicated to the launch of the Traveling Festival will take place before the screenings — access it via the link.

 Forty cinematographers and hundreds of people worked on the film “The Illusion of a Quiet Night” to capture a single summer night in Ukraine from July 27 to 28, 2025. From the northern forests to the front lines, from the temporarily occupied territories to border towns and villages. This film is a collective portrait of a nation that has been living under the conditions of a major war for four years now.

The documentary “Traces” tells the story of Ukrainian women’s quest for justice after surviving sexual violence and torture committed during the Russian aggression. Going far beyond the mere documentation of war crimes, the film focuses on a community of women survivors who refuse to remain silent about what they have endured.

 Experts participating in the discussion:

• Natalya Bimbirayte, festival coordinator in the Kherson region;
• Alla Tiutiunnik, director of the Docudays UA Network Development Department.

Moderators: Dementiy Bilyi, Natalya Shatilova.