Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Completes Its Work in Chernihiv Region

On December 10, 2013, the Chernihiv Regional Universal Library named after V.G. Korolenko hosted the closing of the 10th Traveling International Documentary Film Festival on Human Rights DOCUDAYS.UA in Chernihiv Oblast.

The events were of particular value in connection with the All-Ukrainian Law Week, as well as the celebration of the December 10 proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948.

During the festival, Chernihiv residents and guests of the city had the opportunity to watch the prize-winning films of the International Documentary Film Festival on Human Rights, which took place in Kyiv this spring, as well as films from the most famous documentary film festivals.

The purpose of this festival is to contribute to raising the level of Ukrainian documentary filmmaking, establishing an open dialogue in Ukraine about the moral problems of society, human rights, forming in society an understanding of human dignity as the highest value, creating a foundation for the democratic future of the country.

The organizers of the festival summed up the results of the festival in the region. In particular, it was noted that despite the difficulties, during the festival period, the largest number of viewers was involved in the screenings than in all previous years, especially young people. In total, more than one and a half thousand viewers watched films about human rights in the Chernihiv region.

The screenings took place in the Shchors Cinema, the Chernihiv Regional Universal Library named after V.G. Korolenko, the Art Club, the Svitlofor Bowling Club, in schools and universities, and in penitentiary institutions.

The film screenings were accompanied by discussions, debates, and public events. In particular, on December 9, the Chernihiv Regional Universal Library named after V.G. Korolenko hosted a round table on the topic “Development of Juvenile Justice in the Region” based on the results of the screening of the film “Children Behind Bars,” which raises issues of the rights of children in conflict with the law.

The discussions of the films among schoolchildren and students were especially interesting, since it is young people who are most sensitive and vulnerable to violations of human rights and human dignity.

While watching the films, the audience also had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the traveling exhibition on human rights “Everyone Has the Right to Know Their Rights,” which was guided by students of the Chernihiv Regional Pedagogical Lyceum for Gifted Rural Youth.

The festival ended with a screening of the classic Lithuanian documentary film “One” by Audryus Stonis, which was a great success among the city’s youth.

The organizers also announced that they had created a human rights film club that will operate throughout the year, on the basis of which educational events on human rights will be held in combination with viewings of films and videos about human rights created by human rights NGOs.

The festival organizers express special gratitude to the Chernihiv Regional Universal Library named after V.G. Korolenko and all its employees for their assistance in organizing and holding the festival in Chernihiv and involving the city’s youth in events on legal educational topics, the topic of universal human values, and creating all the necessary conditions for obtaining knowledge about human rights and discussing important issues related to its life in the general circle of our community.

We also express our sincere gratitude to the Art Club (a structural unit of the Chernihiv Regional National Center for the Performing Arts) and its employees, the Chernihivkino Commune, and the Svitlofor Bowling Club for providing facilities for viewing events important to the city’s youth.

The 10th DocudaysUA International Traveling Human Rights Documentary Film Festival is held in Ukraine with the support of:

the Government of Sweden,

the National Endowment for Democracy (USA),

the Human Rights Foundation of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,

the International Renaissance Foundation,

the Democracy Foundation of the US Embassy in Ukraine

Partners:

Movies that Matter,

Human Rights Film Network (International Network of Human Rights Festivals),

the State Film Agency of Ukraine,

the All-Ukrainian Educational Program “Understanding Human Rights”

Organizers of the Docudays UA festival:

Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union,

Kherson City Association of Journalists “Pivden”,

Kherson Regional Charity and Health Foundation,

Center for Modern Information Technologies and Visual Arts (Kharkiv)

The organizers of the festival in the Chernihiv region are the NGO “MART” (“Youth Alternative”) and the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights.

Since 2006, the Docudays UA festival has been a member of the Human Rights Film Network (International Network of Human Rights Festivals).