Established by the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia in February 2023, for the last twelve months, the Ukrainian Film Club has been introducing Estonian and Ukrainian audiences alike to a selection of classic and modern movies created by Ukrainian directors.

In its first year, the club showed a total of 18 different movies during its twice-monthly screenings at Tallinn's Sõprus Cinema (Kino Sõprus). Those same films have also been shown in at least nine other cities across Estonia, including Tartu, Narva, Sillamäe and Kuressaare.

Head of communications at the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia Inna Gordienko, told ERR News that she is proud of the club's success up to now and that it is continuing to gather momentum.

"On February 25, we will celebrate the first anniversary of the film club, and I am extremely glad that it has become a platform that unites Ukrainians, fills the deep need for an emotional connection with our homeland and gives the feeling of inseparable unity with Ukraine," said Gordienko.

"It all started with the screening of the movie 'Slovo House. Unfinished Novel,' which was provided for screening by my friend, the film's director Taras Tomenko," Gordienko explained.

Thanks to Tomenko's close cooperation with producer Oleg Scherbina, the club has been able to show an even wider selection of Ukrainian movies since then.

All the films the club has shown have been in Ukrainian with English subtitles. However, six months ago, they also began creating and adding Estonian subtitles.

"Slovo House," became the first movie they screened with Estonian subtitles, when it was presented to audiences at Tallinn's KUMU Museum (Auditorium), and then in Pärnu at the Endla Theater.

"As part of the Year of Cultural Diversity 2024 in Estonia, we plan to improve the film club and prepare to show Estonian-made films with Ukrainian subtitles," said Gordienko. "Producing subtitles provides an opportunity for both Ukrainians and Estonians to get to know each other's cultural heritage. I am sure that through cinema, we will be able to get to know the traditions and histories of our countries, learn the language and better understand each other's cultures," Gordienko said.

Even in the short time it has been running so far, the club has welcomed plenty of special guests to give speeches before and after the movie screenings. Among them have been U.S. Ambassador to Estonia George P. Kent, Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) and Riigikogu MP Marko Mihkelson (Reform).

The club has also had several notable visitors from Ukraine, including artist Dmytro Dobrovolskyi, musician and singer Oleg Skrypka, as well as director and actor Akhtem Seitablaev.

All the movies are free to attend, with audience members able to donate money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as Ukraine's civilian population, if they wish, said Gordienko.

"We are infinitely grateful to all the guests of our shows for their support of Ukraine," she added.

"I would like to thank all our fans of the Film Club - the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia, which acts as our permanent partner, Sõprus Cinema, which provides us with the opportunity to show Ukrainian films for free throughout the year, as well as everyone who participates in the popularization of Ukrainian cinema in the world."

Gordienko also highlighted why she believes it is so important to continue to promote Ukrainian culture and cinema.

"Through cinema we can tell the world the truth about Russia's war against Ukraine, about the genocide of the Ukrainian people by Putin's criminal regime, about the heroism of Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and the right to be independent on their land," she said.

With Saturday, February 24, 2024 marking the second year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine as well as Estonia's Independence Day, the day is extremely important and symbolic for both countries.

The screening of "Culture vs. War" at Tallinn's Sõprus Cinema (Kino Sõprus) takes place the next day, Sunday, February 25 at 1 p.m.

The movie will be shown in its original Ukrainian with subtitles in Estonian.

The event is organized by the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia within the framework of the Ukrainian Film Club in Estonia and in cooperation with "Dõvõs ukrainske!" ("Watch Ukrainian film productions!"), as well as the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia.

The screening of the movie is part of a broader project, also entitled "Culture against War," which additionally includes six short documentary films, a photography exhibition and an art book.

The project was initiated by "Dõvõs ukrainske!" to document the history of Russia's war in Ukraine as well as communicate the events to a wider audience.

The project focuses on the work of famous artists who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as well as the stories of a number of Ukrainian cultural figures who are actively involved in volunteering activities.

More information is available here.

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