We started our series of screenings in Ukraine on Tuesday. So far we have had showings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv. All three showings had a great turnout and were followed by very interesting – and sometimes heated – discussions.

What was particularly striking for us was the fact that even though the screenings took place in three cities that are historically and culturally very different, a lot of the same themes were brought up during the discussion. People wanted to talk about what can unite the country that was divided by different ideologies and the importance of memory in shaping the identity of modern-day Ukraine. We also discussed the notion of “heroes”: as one of the viewers remarked, Ukraine is still a relatively new country and the heroes of the people are still being identified and this has produced some controversy among the different communities.

With five cities to cover in just one week, we have been on the road almost constantly and it has been hard to keep up with the blog. We will be writing in more detail and reporting on the different screenings and discussions, but in the meantime, we wanted to share this update as well as some of the pictures from this tour.

The discussion following the first screening in Kyiv

The screening in Kharkiv

The audience at the Lviv showing

Our small crew on the road getting supplies of beer and chocolate before taking taking the overnight train from Kharkiv to Kyiv