Docudays UA eleventh edition opens

Sunday, March 23, 2014

The Eleventh International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival opened Friday in the Red Hall of the Kyiv Cinema House, in Kyiv, Ukraine. The festival spans eight days, ending on March 28.

Competition programs are divided into DOCU/Right, DOCU/Life, and DOCU/Short. Each program has its own jury that consists of famous human rights activists, film producers, directors, critics, writers etc. Among them are Andrzej Poczobut (Belorus), Natalka Zubar (Ukraine), Oksana Sarkisova (Hungary), Boris Miti? (Serbia), Chris McDonald (Canada), Simone Baumann (Germany), Andrei Zagdansky (Ukraine), Victoria Belopolskaya (Russia), and Stephanie Lamorre (France). Students’ Jury and Audience Awards are also to be given. The Organizing Committee is to award an Andriy Matrosov Award.

Non-competition programs are divided into areas titles Ideorruption, DOCU/Ukraine, DOCU/Riot, DOCU/Art, DOCU/Best, HOT DOCS presents, Artdocfest presents, and Andrei Zagdansky Retrospective.

The best films are also to be shown during Docudays UA Travelling Festival.

The opening film was called Euromaidan: Rough Cut. It was a combination of shots of different film directors that have been filming the protests in Ukraine during these past four months. Organizers and creators explained, “This is what it is. It is actually a ‘rough cut’. It is a collection of different episodes”.

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The Red Hall of the Kyiv Cinema House. It’s waiting time still. Image: Antanana.

Image: Antanana.

A special guest is an actress and singer Mariana Sadovska. Image: Antanana.

Image: Ilya.

Andrii Saichuk and Nataliia Humeniuk. Image: Antanana.

Image: Ilya.

Andrii Saichuk. Image: Ilya.

Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine Andreas von Beckerath. Image: Antanana.

Image: Ilya.

Image: Antanana.

Docudays UA PR-director Dariia Averchenko. Image: Antanana.

Image: Ilya.

The creators of the opening film ‘Euromaidan, Rough Cut’. Image: Antanana.

The people are singing the Anthem of Ukraine. Image: Ilya.

The festival was first held in 2003, called at that time Docudays on Human Rights. In 2006 the festival was accepted as part of the international Human Rights Film Network at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. It is usually held during the last week of March.

In 2013, the festival opened with a performance, showing Berkut — Ukrainian special police — oppressing the journalists:

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A bailiff is reading out the court desicion. Image: Ilya.

The surname of the judge is Pomidorov (Tomato’s – Wikinews). Image: Ilya.

«The festival and meeting are prohibited…». Image: Ilya.

«…as there are too many people gathered here and it is not safe for the population». Image: Ilya.

The announcers ask lawyers to help them. Image: Ilya.

The bailiff has lost this case. Image: Ilya.