We invite you to the grand opening ceremony of the 22nd Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, which will take place on June 6 at 7:00 p.m. at Zhovten Cinema (26 Kostiantynivska Street).
But we will begin welcoming guests at 6:00 p.m. — with a glass of wine from Villa Tinta to celebrate this long-awaited meeting.
Also at 6:00 p.m. in front of the Zhovten Cinema, our friends from the French civic initiative Ukraine Comb'Art invite you to join in performing the Arkan — a traditional Hutsul circle dance symbolizing community unity and mutual support.
This year’s festival will open with Sanatorium, a film by Irish director Gar O’Rourke, shot in Kuyalnyk, Odesa region. Stay with us for a discussion with the director after the screening.
What is Sanatorium about?
On the outskirts of Odesa lies the Kuyalnyk Sanatorium — a sprawling 1970s building that serves both as a hotel and a medical facility. Every summer, thousands of Ukrainians arrive, drawn by Soviet-era wellness practices and the chance to unwind by the salty lake. Yet the true magnet is the mysterious black mud, said to cure infertility, physical ailments, and a range of other conditions. Sanatorium immerses us in the height of summer at this unusual retreat, capturing the daily rhythms of the staff who tirelessly care for the health, comfort, and entertainment of their guests — all in the shadow of war. For those who come here, it's a chance to recover, to heal body and soul, even to fall in love. And though the sound of shelling echoes nearby, something about the pastel-pink and lime-green corridors keeps pulling people back. Perhaps it’s faith in rejuvenation — or perhaps it’s a secret buried in those healing muds.
With heartfelt gratitude to the Ukrainian Defense Forces, whose courage makes it possible for us to hold our festival, we look forward to seeing you all!
— The Docudays UA Team
