In the past year, the subject of Ukraine has become incredibly popular — not only in political discourse, but also in cultural and social conversation. How has knowledge about our country changed during this time? What goals have Ukrainians set for themselves in public communication, and how exactly have we been ‘packaging’ important messages in order to be heard? What narratives about ourselves have we been able to form, and which stereotypes and biases are we still continuing to fight?

As we continue to think about the main theme of this year’s festival, we will try to articulate clearly the tasks of public communication and the strategies for overcoming obstacles. Ukrainians cannot afford to remain passive when it comes to imagining images of the future: right now we must actively shape them with our own hands.

Participants:

Oleksandr Mykhed, writer, cultural researcher, translator, member of PEN Ukraine;

Iryna Tsilyk, writer, fiction and documentary film director, member of PEN Ukraine, member of the European Film Academy;

Rita Burkovska, theatre and film actress who has been working as a fixer for international media since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, particularly for the BBC, ARTE, Deutsche Welle and AFP;
Serhii Korovayny, documentary and portrait photographer, has been documenting the Russo-Ukrainian War since its start in 2015.

Moderator:
Anastasia Platonova, cultural critic and analyst, journalist, editor