October 18, 12:00 p.m. — Deconstructions: Right to the Truth at DCTV in New York
Don’t miss the US premiere of digitized archival Ukrainian films that explore decolonization. The films are part of the special Deconstructions program and were digitized in collaboration with the Dovzhenko Centre exclusively for this year’s Docudays UA screenings and events.
DCTV (Downtown Community Television Center) is one of New York’s leading centers for documentary film and media arts. With 50 years of experience, it aims to amplify the voices of diverse communities and foster democracy and civic life through documentary film and media. The collaboration with the institution was made possible through an ArtsLink artistic residency supported by CEC ArtsLink and Razom for Ukraine.
The selection includes the following short films:
Sunday Morning… dir. Khadzhy-Murad Mamedov (1987)
Right to the Truth, dir. Heorhiy Shkliarevskyi (1989)
Sergei Parajanov. Visits, dir. Anatolii Syrykh (1994)
The Past?..., dir. Rafail Nakhmanovych (1995)
The screening will be introduced by a video message from the selection’s curator, film scholar Aliona Penzii of the Dovzhenko Centre. A discussion will follow, featuring Docudays UA Program Director Yulia Kovalenko (joining online) and editor Kseniia Opria (in person).
Screening details and tickets: https://www.dctvny.org/s/firehouse-film/deconstructions-right-to-the-truth-MC2XBTZFLBIVE3VDE6TPUOCEFNPA
October 23, 12:00 p.m. — A Selection of Short Films at the Ukrainian Cultural Festival in New York, QUAD CINEMA
The Ukrainian Cultural Festival (UCF) is an annual multidisciplinary festival showcasing the best of Ukrainian art and culture in New York. It is organized by the Connect team at Razom for Ukraine. The UCF program includes performing arts, film, theater, literature, and visual arts, presented at some of the city’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
We will screen a selection of short films:
Witnesses. Place of Birth, dir. Maryna Kronhlevska
Ember, dir. Vladyslav Kalenskyi
Sequela, dir. Alla Mitiukova
Homecoming, dir. Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk
The selection will be presented on behalf of the Docudays UA team by editor Kseniia Opria.
In addition to this selection, the Ukrainian Cultural Festival will feature screenings of acclaimed documentaries such as Sanatorium by Gar O’Rourke and Nice Ladies by Mariia Ponomariova.
The full festival program is available here: https://www.razomforukraine.org/ucf2026/
October 31, 5:00 p.m. — Docudays UA Short Films as Part of the 5x5 Shorts Program at DOK Leipzig
DOK Leipzig (Internationales Leipziger Festival für Dokumentar- und Animationsfilm) is the world’s oldest international festival of documentary and animated film, held annually in the German city of Leipzig. The 5x5 Shorts program is an annual selection of short films with free admission. Following a “hop on, hop off” format, it allows visitors to enter and leave the screening room and return whenever they wish throughout the evening.
Docudays UA will present the following Ukrainian films:
waking up in silence, dir. Mila Zhluktenko and Daniel Asadi Faezi
Boots on the Ground, Hands in the Soil, dir. Karolina Uskakovych
One Aloe, One Ficus, One Avocado and Six Dracaenas, dir. Marta Smerechynska
Under the Wing of a Night, dir. Lesia Diak
I Stumble Every Time I Hear From Kyiv, dir. Daryna Mamaisur
Screening details: https://www.dok-leipzig.de/en/programm/events#5x5
We would also like to remind you that, since 2022, the DOCU/CLUB Network has expanded internationally, offering Ukrainian documentary films to partner institutions and initiatives as an effective tool for bringing Ukrainian communities together, amplifying the Ukrainian voice around the world, and creating space for deeper understanding and an emotionally engaging, human-centered portrayal of the realities of the war and Ukrainians’ resistance in the Russian-Ukrainian war. The films also provide an opportunity to foster meaningful dialogue with international audiences and build long-lasting intercultural connections and cooperation.
In spring 2025, the NGO Docudays signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. In autumn 2026, it launched a strategic partnership with the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, aimed at strengthening the international presence of Ukrainian topics in academia and advancing cultural diplomacy through documentary cinema as an educational tool.
To date, 46 film clubs abroad have joined the DOCU/CLUB Network across 26 countries: Germany, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Switzerland, Latvia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Austria, Israel, Poland, Estonia, Cyprus, Romania, Mauritania, Japan, France, China, Hungary, the Republic of the Congo, Slovenia, and Botswana.
To stay up to date with film screenings and meetings hosted by the film clubs, follow the announcements on social media and on our website.
