Ukraine in the 17th edition of SEEfest
The 2022 South East European Film Festival announces the inclusion of Ukraine in the 17th edition
The 2022 South East European Film Festival announced the inclusion of Ukraine in the program, with two outstanding films, the 2022 Sundance directing award winner Klondike by Maryna Er Gorbach and the US premiere of Blindfold by Taras Dron. Both films focus on ordinary people trying to live their lives under the constant threat of new conflict and war traumas that just won’t go away.
2022 Sundance directing award winner Klondike by Maryna Er Gorbach
“SEEfest is proud to bring to L.A. audiences these remarkable films with strong female characters at the center of the story,” says Vera Mijojlic, founder and director of the festival. “We have previously worked with Maryna Er Gorbach who co-directed, with Mehmet Bahadir Er, 2020 festival entry Omar and Us. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and supporting our colleagues in Ukraine.”
US premiere of Blindfold by Taras Dron
Info about Blindfold is here. Klondike info is here.
Two short animation films from Ukraine are also in the program. The 17th annual edition of the Los Angeles-based film festival is slated to unfold as a hybrid, with in-person as well as virtual screenings on the Eventive platform.
SEEfest is proudly co-presented by ELMA, the L.A.-based foundation for European Languages and Movies in America.
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In Solidarity
Less than a quarter-century since the last deadly fighting was over in Eastern Europe the winds of war have again engulfed the region. Under attack, hundreds of thousands of civilians are fleeing Ukraine and pouring into neighboring countries. Non-Ukrainian residents and Ukrainians alike are seeking shelter in Romania and Poland, and farther afield. The danger of a widening conflict is ominously present.
Please check these two internationally recognized relief organizations working with refugees worldwide:
International Rescue Committee, the IRC, is already working on the ground in Poland; and the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, helping displaced families.
Romania has already accepted a large number of refugees, and the Embassy of Romania, together with the Romanian United Fund, has established Ukrainian Peace Fund to support health facilities with necessary supplies such as medicine, as well as food and hygiene items.
Art, especially visceral cinema such as recent movies by Ukrainian directors, brings us up close to what people on the ground experience. Art by itself may not stop tanks, but it gives the fuel to the human spirit to fight them.
Memorable films from the SEEfest archives
Some of the memorable films from the SEEfest archives about either the societies at war or in the post-conflict state include No Man’s Land, The Cordon, Before the Rain, Borderline Lovers, Kukumi, The Paper Will Be Blue, California Dreamin’, The War is Over, Medal of Honor, Valley of Peace, A Day on the River Drina, Fuse, Sarajevo, My Beautiful Country, Half Shaved, Babai, A Good Wife, Refugee 532, That Trip We Took With Dad, Politiki Kouzina, Omar and Us, Ethnophobia, The Grey War, Men Don’t Cry, The Other Side of Everything, The Diary of Diana B., Zana, So, What’s Freedom?, and Quo Vadis, Aida?
They are mementos of the past that should not be forgotten.
Cover image is a still from Quo Vadis, Aida?
SUPPORT SEEFEST
Not a member yet? Become an art patron with other SEEfest arthouse aficionados in support of great events and programs, as well as our mission to keep you informed about initiatives from our wide network of fellow cultural organizations.
We Welcome YOU!