Project
Ukraine Known Unknown
Welcome to “Ukraine Known Unknown,” a project that aims to shed light on some of the lesser-known yet significant personalities in the Ukrainian cultural scene.
“Ukraine Known Unknown,” founded by Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin, is a three-day series of documentaries dedicated to prominent but still unknown figures of Ukrainian culture & art. During the years of russian colonial policy, repressions and cultural expansion, some of these names were forbidden and forgotten, and the works of these geniuses of Ukrainian culture were hidden — so even in Ukraine some of these names have only recently been rediscovered. Some of the characters in our films became great and worldwide famous, but were represented as russian or Soviet artists, not Ukrainian.
Through “Ukraine Known Unknown,” we hope to bring attention to these talented artists and provide a platform for their work to be appreciated by a wider audience. We invite you to explore their stories and immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Ukrainian culture & art.
All films are followed by short introductory lectures conducted by Ukrainian and international experts in the field of music, art, cultural heritage and literature.
Entrance is free, by registration. Donations are welcome!
Programme
April 21, 19:00 | ACUDkino
V.Silvestrov
Serhiy Bukovsky | 2020 | 143’
The documentary "V.Silvestrov," dedicated to this brilliant Ukrainian composer, is far from a traditional biopic about a prominent person. It is an observation, a confession and, most of all, a story of great talent set against the backdrop of uncertain times.
The film is followed by an introductory lecture by musicologist Maria Khrapatcheva.
April 22, 19:00 | ACUDkino
ADA
Alina Matochkina | 2022 | 92’
In 1986 in Kyiv, the largest work of art in Europe — the Wall of Memory — was illegally destroyed, and the names of its two authors, Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnichenko, were erased from art history. For over eight years, the film follows Volodymyr’s struggle for justice and recognition, in the name of Ada and their joint creativity.
The film is followed by a lecture, "Contradictions of the Ukrainian Soviet Cultural Heritage," by Zhenya Moliar, art historian and activist researching the cultural heritage of the Soviet period.
April 22, 21:00 | ACUDkino
Chubai. Speaking Again
Mykhailo Krupiievsky | 2023 | 103’
Hrytsko Chubai, a genius of Ukrainian poetry and the brightest representative of Lviv’s underground culture of the late 1960s–70s, is remembered in this documentary staged in the innovative genre of a theatre production, set in his basement workshop. Ukrainian poet Serhiy Zhadan leads the journey through Chubai’s family, friends and poetry.
The film is followed by a lecture by Valentina Zalevska, film curator and co-founder of the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin.
April 23, 19:00 | ACUDkino
Malevich
Volodymyr Lutskyi and Igor Malakhov | 2019 | 89’
This documentary explores famous artist Kazimir Malevich’s Ukrainian origins and the influence of Ukrainian culture on his life and work, aiming to return his name to Ukrainian culture. It features a Suprematist screenplay written by Malevich in 1930, rare archival footage, and interviews with art historians, gallerists and architects from Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, Belarus and France.
The film is followed by a lecture, "Ukrainian Avant-garde in Socio-political Context," by Oksana Semenik, art historian, journalist and creator of the "Ukrainian Art History" account.
April 23, 21:00 | ACUDkino
A Portrait on the Background of Mountains
Max Rudenko | 2019 | 85’
For thirty years in the Carpathian village of Kryvorivnia, Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit photographed the people and place where she lived. In 2015, a box of her negatives was found by chance by artists from Kyiv — a story about the mysterious connection between past and present.
The film is followed by a lecture by Anna Datsyuk, film critic and curator of the Kyiv Critics’ Week film festival.
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