Photo exhibition by young Ukrainian photographers is also being held in BLDG-No.2

Sophia University will host a screening of six short films by Ukrainian female directors on Wednesday, June 29.

After the screening at Sophia University, the films will be shown in London, Korea, Singapore, and Los Angeles. Prior to this, about 50 photographs and works of art taken by young Ukrainian photographers in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mariupol are being exhibited on the first floor of Building No. 2 at the Yotsuya Campus.

The film screening and photo exhibition were made possible by the desire of two graduates of the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Yulia Sakai and Ayano Soma. These alumni appeal for continued support for Ukraine and want more people to know about the country’s fascinating culture and art.

Both the film screening and photo exhibition are open to the public.

There is no charge to attend, but we ask for your cooperation in making a donation to a charity organization supporting Ukraine.

For more information, please visit the film screening and photo exhibition websites.

Short Film Screening

• Date：Wednesday, June 29, 2022
• Time：5:30pm-7:30pm
• Venue：Room 101, Building-No.6, Yotsuya Campus
• Language： Ukrainian/Russian with English subtitles
• Registration：Please register here by Monday,June 27.

Photo Exhibition

• Period: Until Thursday, June 30, 2022
• Opening hours: 9am:-4pm
• Venue: Main entrance on the 1st floor of Bldg-No.2, Yotsuya Campus and the lobby of the Catholic Jesuit Center

Interview with Curators

We interviewed the exhibition’s representative in charge of planning and operation, Yulia Sakai, and deputy representative, Ayano Soma (’21,Faculty of Liberal Arts).

What prompted you to hold the film screening and photo exhibition?

When the war started, we wanted to help Ukraine somehow, so we started posting on Facebook and doing other activities. At that time we met Ms.Ksenia Bugrimova, the representative of UFFI (Ukrainian Female Film and Media Industry), and she asked us if the UFFI could hold a film screening and photo exhibition in Japan to support female film directors and photographers in Ukraine. This was the beginning of the project.
With the support of our friends, we asked the Institute for Comparative Culture and the Catholic Jesuit Center to host the event at Sophia University, and we worked with the faculty and staff to prepare for the events.

What would you recommend from the 6 short films to be screened and the 50 photos on display?

All of the short films are directed by women and range in length from 9 to 27 minutes, and all have been highly acclaimed. We recommend the silent film “The Seed,” directed by UFFI representative Ms. Bugrimova, which premiered in the Short Film Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Ms. Bugrimova will also be online to greet the audience on the day of the screening.

Among the photos on display, we especially recommend the one of mother Dasha and son Boris. Related to this photograph, there is the story about this mother and son’s escape from the City of Mariupol, which is also exhibited with the photograph.

Also we recommend an avant-garde photograph of an imitation of a montanka doll, which is a traditional Ukrainian doll. Interpreting the works on display is difficult, but each has a profound meaning. For example, “The President” piece shows a heart (a model of a heart) on the chest, indicating love for the country, with the color green representing warmth.

Give your Message for those who come to see the film and the photo exhibition

Traditional Ukrainian traditional items such as folk costumes and pysanki have been introduced in Japan, but there have been few opportunities for people in Japan to see contemporary culture and art created by local young people.

We would like to convey the fact that there are many talented young people in Ukraine, and we hope that visitors will be able to feel the appeal of Ukrainian culture and art. In addition, the photos in this exhibition give us an insight into the emotions of Ukrainians and the current situation of Ukrainian towns. We hope that people will feel closer to Ukraine not from the rubble-strewn towns and tragic scenes, but from the scenes of everyday life during the war.

Ukrainians living in cities around the world are now engaged in various support activities for their mother country, including fund-raising activities. We hope that this short film screening and photo exhibition will be an example of such activities.