DocuDays Kiev Ukraine: Equality/ 2
Look at the photo, an elderly couple studying the program waiting for the opening of the 15th edition of DocuDays UA. My wife, Ellen, and I have been here several times, the hospitality is always warm and generous and the program, 62 films this year and masterclasses, pitchings, photo exhibitions, you can not have any objections to. For the first time there is a special competition for Ukrainian feature films, 6 of them, I will try to watch as many as possible. The opening included great live music to accompany trailers for the many sections, good speeches around the theme of equality, again, alas, all of us standing up with yellow papers saying “Free Oleg Sentsov”, and the very obvious choice of an opening film “A Woman Captured” by Hungarian Bernadett Tuza-Ritter. With a fine Q&A afterwards. The opening took place at the new Zhovten Cinema that has – hope I am right – 4 cinema halls and meeting places. The festival people are committed, they have something to say about their country and the world and human rights. And Bravo again to Sweden that is the main sponsor of the festival. And it is not pocket money! The sun is shining outside Hotel Rus where I am right now waiting for the day program to start. I’ll be back with reports and reviews.