Ukrainian society is going through one of the most important and difficult periods in its history, accompanied by profound internal transformations. We have created the RIGHTS NOW! lecture series as a space where documentary cinema and open talks by people shaping public discourse come together to build a meaningful conversation about how we are changing — and to offer a chance to pause and reflect on what often goes unnoticed amid the turmoil of war.
This year, during the 23rd Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, we are launching a new section of the human rights programme, the RIGHTS NOW! lecture series. It is a series of six public lectures by leading Ukrainian and international intellectuals, researchers, and public figures, closely connected to the documentary films in the festival programme. Together, they reveal both the practical and emotional dimensions of human rights issues and help us look at our experiences and challenges more broadly — from personal stories to global processes shaping the country and society.
The events of the section will take place daily from 6 to 11 June, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends and from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, in the open-air area near the Zhovten Cinema*. Each lecture will also include a Q&A session with an opportunity to ask the speaker questions in person.
The lecture series includes:
A lecture by Oleksandr “Teren” Budko Integration of Veterans with Disabilities: How Ukrainian Society Is Changing on 6 June and a film about military families living through traumatic experiences and society adapting to new sensitive realities and learning how to engage with them.
A lecture by the Truth Hounds team Exploiting Vulnerability: How Russia Recruits Foreigners for the War in Ukraine on 7 June and a film on how the geopolitical and economic interests of major powers have led to decades of oppression and genocide of an entire people.
A lecture by Anton Drobovych How Memory Shapes Us: The Difficult Lessons of History on 8 June and a film about one European nation’s struggle for the right to truth, the danger of forgetting the past, and transitional justice.
A lecture by Peter Pomerantsev War for Reality: Is It Possible to Resist Enemy Propaganda and Preserve the Truth? on 9 June and a film exploring the nature of fakes, the mechanisms of shaping reality and the question of how fabrication becomes real for us.
A lecture by Yevhen Hlibovytskyi Overcoming the Past: Why We Don’t Trust Our Own State on 10 June and a short film selection that offers a snapshot of Ukrainian society on the brink of independence.
A lecture by Kateryna Botanova Decolonisation as an Act of Agency: How Ukraine Is Rethinking Itself — and Choosing What It Should Be on 11 June and a film about how decolonisation becomes a living process of creating society and continues even a century after gaining independence.
The films accompanying the lectures, as well as their screening schedule, will be announced a little later — they will be available to watch either before the lectures or as a continuation of the conversation. As always, admission to the screenings will be by tickets only.
Admission to the lectures and all events of the RIGHTS NOW! Human Rights Programme is free.
*Please note that Kateryna Botanova’s lecture on June 11 will take place in the 'Sweet Life' hall of the Zhovten Cinema and requires prior registration.
The 23rd Docudays UA is held with the financial support of the European Union, the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine and the Ukrainian State Film Agency. The opinions, conclusions, or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the governments of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies exclusively with the authors and editors of the publication.
