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Open kmbs liveThe film premiered on August 22 on the website of "Novye Vremya" and Channel 24. A massive amount of work preceded this. In particular, the film's journalist, Natalka Kruzhilina, says she had to make more than a hundred phone calls, persuading people to share what they experienced. "But one by one, people refused," she says. — Someone was afraid for their lives and the lives of their relatives, who remained either in Mariupol or left for Russia. Someone did not see sense in this. Someone didn't want to take out their grief on people... That's why all the heroes of our film are unrealistically cool."
Natalka carefully prepared for the interview and thought about how not to traumatize people again by asking them about the past. "However, all my worries were in vain - people themselves wanted to tell about the hell that the Russian military made them. However, it took a lot of effort for Ksenia to dare to tell the camera about her son's death. And Yuli, who gave birth under aerial bombs, found it difficult to find the words to describe her condition. Nadia hid her fear of going crazy behind her words. And that is why their story has great value. And that's why the whole world should know about it...", Natalka believes.
In parallel with the premiere in Ukraine, foreign film screenings are taking place, starting on Independence Day. "Mariupol. Unlost Hope" will be shown in almost 40 cities of the world, particularly in Baltimore, Brno, Havre, Hamilton, Herzliya, Linz, Oakland, Samui, Savona, Utrecht, Varna, Beijing, Tokyo, Geneva, Tallinn, etc. This became possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Borodyanskyi wrote on his Facebook page: "This action is about empathy. It seems important to us that people in cities "like" Mariupol feel what war is like, experience emotions, and find solidarity. What the heroes of our films went through should be seen by every representative of international organizations, which at one time were created precisely so that nothing like this would ever happen in the modern world. It's scary to admit, but "never again" turned out to be just a phrase with no real action behind it. It seems they have all lost their original mission — to ensure global security and compliance by all countries with international humanitarian law. Each of our heroes demonstrates incredible strength and humanity that representatives of the UN or the Red Cross can learn from. Each of the heroes of our films did everything possible that depended on him to ensure the very possibility of the existence of "international humanitarian law" without any regulations and procedures. And the international community should see this."
"Mariupol. Unlost Hope" became the first film in a series of documentaries about Russia's war against Ukraine, under the care of the Ukrainian Producers Association (UUP), created in March 2022. The UUP includes seven experienced TV and film producers. They were united by the goal of showing the truth by making a film about the prerequisites, course, and consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Currently, OUP has four completed films. Nine more documentaries and one feature film are in production. And the book with the memories of Nadiya Sukhorukova from Mariupol will soon see the light of day in the publishing house "Laboratoriya." It will be presented at the world's largest book fair in Frankfurt this fall.
Anyone can watch the film on YouTube right now.