Ukrainian Film Club at Columbia University

On October 21, 2020, at 7:00 PM the Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University will host an online screening and discussion of The Long Breakup, 2020, directed by Katya Soldak. The discussion with the director of the film will be moderated by Yuri Shevchuk. Registrants will receive a link to independently view the film prior to the live event. The film will be available for viewing on October 19-21. Click here to register for the event. The Long Breakup is a feature length do...cumentary about Ukraine’s struggle to escape Russia’s embrace, leave its Soviet past behind and become a truly independent nation. Ukrainian-American journalist Katya Soldak, of Forbes Magazine, now living in New York City, tells the story of Ukraine, her country of origin, as it exits the USSR, works through two revolutions, and endures a war with Russiaall through the eyes of her family and friends in Kharkiv, a large Ukrainian city just 18 miles from the Russian border. The Long Breakup takes viewers on an intimate journey that illustrates how big geopolitical changes affect people on a personal level, and explores what happens when democracy slips away and a nation must fight for the right to choose its future. The tale offers insight into what it’s like for an immigrant to watch her native country go through crises from afar; but, most importantly, it’s a personal tale about life in the former Soviet republic, whose struggle for freedom forms the backdrop of so many lives. The Long Breakup was filmed over the course of a decade, and features an original soundtrack, as well as music from Ukrainian and Soviet artists. The film is intended for global audiences with general interests, as well as for those interested in the USSR and post-Soviet developments. About the film director. Katya Soldak is a New-York-based journalist, born and raised in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Katya works as an editorial director for Forbes Magazine’s international editions, having previously toiled in the world of documentary production at CBS News Productions and various production houses in New York City. A Columbia School of Journalism alumna, she's interviewed high-profile politicians and artists and has written cover stories for Forbes about Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs. Katya is the author of the memoir-essay This Is How Propaganda Works, about growing up in the Soviet Union. To register for the event and get access to the film to view before the event go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-discussion-the- https://vimeo.com/444910146

VIRTUAL EVENT. FILM SCREENING. This event will be held virtually on Zoom. There will be no in-person event. The Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University ... will open its season of the academic year 2020-21 (seventeenth since its foundation) with the online screening and discussion of The Lost Petition (1972) directed by Borys Ivchenko. Inspired by the Mykola Hohol (a.k.a. Nikolai Gogol) short story, this heroic comedy takes place in 18th century Ukraine. Two Cossacks, Vasyl and Andrii, set out on a surreal journey to St. Petersburg, Russia. Charged by the Hetman of Ukraine to deliver a letter to the tsarina, they go through thick and thin in order to accomplish their dangerous mission and safely return home. On the way, they demonstrate miracles of resourcefulness, overcome countless challenges, and cheat the devil himself. The iconic actor Ivan Mykolaichuk plays the lead role. Shot when the Soviet regime launched a new campaign of repressions against Ukrainian dissidents, better known as the sixtiers, the film resorts to Aesopian language to push the limits of national self-expression imposed by the colonial regime in the final stages of its existence. The film will be introduced and its discussion will be led by Professor Yuri Shevchuk Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 7:00 PM Follow the Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University Facebook page. The Zoom link to this film club event will be provided 30 minutes before its beginning.

Yara’s Traditional Arts Virtual Event: Folk Dancer: Vasile Avramenko Yara Arts Group and the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown continue their series of virtual poetry and folk arts events with: Yara’s Traditional Arts: Folk Dancer Vasile Avramenko. The event will livestream on August 13, 2020, and can be seen afterwards in recording on www.yaraartsgroup.net Vasile Avramenko was an immigrant from Stebliv who brought Ukrainian dance to New York in 1929. Virlana Tkacz tells his story, while archivist Mike Andrec shares recordings of music used in his dance classes and film historian Yuri Shevchuk discusses Avramenko’s hand in the making of the first Ukrainian talking pictures. This event is free and bilingual (English and Ukrainian.

A small but significant breakthrough for new Ukrainian (no quotation marks) cinema. MY THOUGHTS ARE QUIET, 2020, the absurdist comedy by director Antonio Lukich, is to be released by HBO Europe. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-moyi-dum/30725482.html

Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University invites everybody to watch the documentary film Stalking Chornobyl and join the Zoom discussion with director Iara Lee, people featured in the film and selected anti-nuclear experts.... The event is organized to commemorate the International Chornobyl Disaster Remembrance Day The film is accessible here: https://youtu.be/x3wcUbm2gp4 This link is open only till 11:00 PM, April 26, 2020. The Zoom discussion will take place on April 26 at 1:00 PM (in New York), 20:00 (in Kyiv), and 17:00 GMT The registration link for Zoom is https://zoom.us//regist/upwod-ivpzgiitbmxnYJFwVpvif0jNPtzg Here if the Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/736402863562489/

SENSATION! GREAT NEWS! Valentyn Vasyanovych's masterpiece "Atlantis" will have its American premiere in the "New Directors, New Films" film festival at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The maestro will be in attendance at the premiere in person. The Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University, whose member Valentyn Vasyanovych has been since its inception in 2004, has shown all his films, including his early student shorts. The Ukrainian Film Club will also have a scree...ning of "Atlantis", after it premieres at the MoMA. An announce of the date of the event will be circulated as soon as the date of the MoMA screening is known. Plan to attend the MoMA premiere and the Columbia screening. The film is a rare international sensation for Ukrainian cinema and a darling of the international film festival circuit. This is a long-awaited breakthrough!!! http://www.newdirectors.org See more

This is not the first Ukrainian film reviewed by the prestigious US film industry publication Variety. Yet this is, in my memory, the first Ukrainian film that has received such kudos. I hope the new trend continues. https://variety.com//the-earth-is-blue-as-an-orange-revi/

https://ukrainian.voanews.com/a/ukraine-sanda/5290730.html

A wonderful screening and discussion of the "Earth is Blue as an Orange," by Iryna Tsilyk at the Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University on February 12, 2020. The room was packed with about 90 viewers who wanted to see the first Ukrainian film ever to win the directions award from the Sundance Film Festival. In attendance were director Iryna Tsilyk (in the middle) and producer Anna Kapustina (right). The room quickly ran out of chairs and people sat on the floor and many s...tood throughout the entire breath-taking event. Nobody was seen leaving. Many thanks to the Razom for Ukraine for making this event possible. Чудовий показ обговорення фльму "Земля блакитна як апельсин" режисерки рини Цлик (у центр) в Укранському кноклуб Колумбйського унверситету 12-го лютого 2020 р. Зала була запакована бля 90 глядачами, що бажали побачити перший в стор укранський фльм, який здобув нагороду за режисуру вд супер-престижного в свт незалежного кнематографу кнофестивалю Санденс. На заход були режисерка фльму його прод'юсерка Анна Капустина (праворуч). Стльцв виявилося замало для всх, багато глядачв посдало на пдлогу навть ладн були стояти протягом всього заходу, що тривав 2,5 години. Нхто не пшов. Велика подяка Razom for Ukraine за те, що вони уможливили показ призд до Нью-Йорку режисерки й прод'юсерки фльму. Many thanks to Dr. Oksana Remeniaka for the pictures. See more