24/2 16.00 @Estonian House, Wallingatan 34
Discussion with the producer Olha Volynska (Bozhko)
The documentary Unbroken Women (2019) became a part of an advocacy campaign for the protection of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). The film is about Ukrainian women arrested and tortured by pro-Russian paramilitary groups. The documentary consists of three episodes featuring the stories of three former female prisoners, who suffered for their pro-Ukrainian positions and support of the Ukrainian army. The purpose of this project was to increase awareness of human rights violations during the Russian war in Ukraine, in particular, to civilian prisoners of war. The film aims to reduce the stigma surrounding POWs to ensure they’re aware of their rights and to build support among the public and at the state level.
Olha Volynska (Bozhko) – a professional journalist, writer and documentary filmmaker from Dnipro, Ukraine. She is also an executive director of SICH, the Human Rights Group that provides free legal assistance to victims of war. Since 2018 the organization has created short documentaries and other visual media as tools for human rights protection.
SICH Human Rights Protection Group is a non-governmental organization. This is a team of professional lawyers who provide free legal assistance to people affected by the war and also document Russian war crimes. The organization focuses on the help of internally displaced people, affected civilians, former prisoners of war, the Ukrainian military and their families. Lawyers make complaints on their behalf to the ECtHR, the UN Human Rights Committee, and other international organizations.
