In October last year, Melbourne-based Australian-Ukrainian filmmaker Stefan Bugryn (of Squid Ink Productions) set out to the war zones of Ukraine. His mission was to document the conflict plaguing the country by zeroing in on just a few people whose lives have been irrevocably changed by war.
The result is War Mothers: a short film detailing the stories of three women – Galina, Svetlana and Yulia – who live in the town of Zaporizhia in Ukraine's east. Two of these women have lost their sons in combat, and one has taken up arms as a sniper. Through interviews with the mothers and footage of the women assisting on the frontlines, War Mothers provides a deeply intimate, harrowing portrayal of the impact of war.
Sydneysiders have the chance to see War Mothers at this screening at the Randwick Ritz. Audiences will hear first-hand from Bugryn in a Q&A – and he will also be collecting donations for volunteers working in Ukraine.
Alongside this screening will be the premiere of Death in Vientiane, a documentary short by Rob Innes depicting the lives of volunteers working the emergency rescue service in Laos.
Tickets to this event must be pre-purchased online.
The event is in official partnership with Time Out Australia and Ukraine Democracy Initiative.