Ukrainian film series at The Cube multi media center

Google “Ukrainians” and “Colorado” and you will get an increasingly long list of search results. But people living in Colorado still need much more information about what is going on in Ukraine and how to help.

Earlier this month, Ukrainians of Colorado presented a Ukrainian film series at The Cube multi media center in northeast Denver. Working together with The Cube’s management and Metro State film professor Vincent Piturro, we showed five films. Four of them had never been shown publicly in Colorado.

Just as important, we used Zoom and in-person Q&A with the directors and producers of three of the films to explain to our audiences how Ukraine has managed to survive and resist Russian aggression.

On opening night, February 9th, we screened “A Rising Fury,” a new feature-length documentary by Lesya Kalynska. We spoke with her and her producer TJ Collins about the span of years, from 2014 to 2022, during which the Maidan protesters went on to challenge Russian aggression in the Donbas.

The next day we screened three films: “The Music of Survival” (regarding the struggles of the Bandurist Chorus of musicians); “Black Raven,” which presented the tragic witness accounts of Stalin’s “Holodomor,” the forced famine that Russian communists carried out in Ukraine some 90 years ago; and “Klondike,” a feature film, awarded at Sundance, set near the village where MH17 was shot down by Russian-led forces in July 2014.

Finally, on February 11, we showed “Freedom on Fire,” a full-length documentary showing the chronology of events from 2014-2022 and the results of the Russian attack two years ago and the response by Ukraine.

Evgeny Afineevsky, the Oscar-nominated director, spoke at length via Zoom from Kyiv, appealing to all of us to continue our educational work and our political advocacy on behalf of aid to Ukraine.

This call is very much on our minds at Ukrainians of Colorado. We plan more work in schools and in news media, more advocacy with groups of Coloradans, through Rotary Clubs and Sister Cities, and many other organizations.

But we do need and welcome help — from all Coloradans. First, come to our Rally at the State Capitol on February 24th, the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale attack. Second, find out who your Member of Congress is, how they have voted on Ukraine aid call them. Let them know that aiding Ukraine, defeating Putin, is a top priority. Finally, use your vote! Support candidates who keep their promises and commitments, who support aid to Ukraine.

Let your voice be heard!