Film fundraiser backs Ukraine

OVER a dozen people were treated to a night at the movies recently in support of Ukraine.

A private film screening was held at a home cinema in Eureka as a show of support for the warring country.

Many of the attendees were of Ukrainian descent, and all were encouraged to donate funds to support efforts by Help Ukraine Now, Blue and Yellow Hearts and Ukrainian Guardian Angels.

But the event coordinator Annette Ameneiro said the night was more than a fundraiser.

“I’m not as concerned about the money as I am about starting the ball rolling and raising the awareness profile for what’s really going on over there,” she said.

“What’s happening over there is terrible but I don’t expect everyone to feel comfortable paying so it’s purely anonymous and however much they want to give is fine.”

Following the Ukrainian national anthem and several shorts, the centrepiece movie was the 2018 Ukrainian-Icelandic film Woman at War.

The film follows an environmental activist’s adoption of a Ukrainian child while battling corporations and government.

Bryan Putt, the owner and operator of the home cinema, said the choice of film provided a way to maintain a Ukrainian connection while allowing the audience to have a good time.

“We didn’t particularly want to focus on the war but instead have a more light-hearted, friendly story while still acknowledging what’s happening,” he said.

Ms Ameneiro is of Ukrainian descent, and said she hopes the private screening is her first of many in an effort to raise support for the country.

“This is the seed for me which will hopefully lead well into my coordinating the Ukrainian National Travelling Film Festival,” she said.

“For me, film is the way we learn about culture. You can sit in a cinema and you’re transported there from a safe environment.

“You get to experience it, digest it and then you can go home after.”