The mission of our festival is not only to show the culture of Ukraine and all the peoples of the world, but also to involve our guests in it.
In order to do this we make the opening and closing life-affirming, which would fully correspond to our slogan - "Celebrate the life!"
We know that Ukrainians can do that! We learned to celebrate life even during the war! We are going teach this to the whole world!
If Russian aggression did not allow us to invite everyone home, then our home will come to Poland. The birthplace of the film festival in its broad and narrow sense will come to Toruń to meet the guests of our location according to tradition, with all the appropriate attributes - song, Ukrainian symbols, traditional culture, films, exhibition, treats, bread, salt and wine and warm hugs.
At the opening at the ethnographic museum you will feel like you are in Ukraine, at home. We will do everything to wrap you in warmth. You will get acquainted with Bolgrad, the homeland of the festival, Bulgarian folk music from Ukrainian Bulgarians @fa-diez, and Ukrainian ethno-electronic music from @GG
And of course, everything will end with dancing, as it is traditionally in our country. For one day we will try to forget about all the pain and sadness, about the losses and destruction. We will be inspired by Ukrainian beauty and culture, we will sing Ukrainian songs together, we will breathe a lot of Ukrainian air into our lungs and we will live and build further. Because we are invincible! Let this opening ceremony become a common psychotherapy of our wounded souls.
We are preparing for you some musical surprises for the closing ceremony. In the meantime, check out the schedule of activities for the opening:
November 13 - OKO Opening
Ethnographic Museum (Wały Generała Sikorskiego 19, Toruń)
16:00 – Screenings* Chamur and Place of Power Two documentaries will tell the stories about the festival’s native region, Bessarabia. The director Tetiana Stanieva will introduce both films.
*films are with Ukrainian subtitles; entry is free for Ukrainians
16:00 – 18:00 – The ethnic photo zone and patriotic charity fair of merchandise, Ukrainian symbols, and traditional handicrafts.
18:00 – OKO Concert
The folk band of Bulgarian music “Fa-Diez” will present the homeland of the film festival, the city of Bolhrad.
Ukrainian ethno-electronic project “GG GulyayGorod” will entertain the audience with Ukrainian folk singing.
Ethnotheque, master classes of folk dances from the OKO team.
18:00 – 20:00 – The Tasty Corner “Gifts from the Motherland”.
20:00 – Historical walk around Toruń Old Town.
21:00 – OKO Opening Film The Mustache Funk, Q&A with film authors (Kino CAMERIMAGE, Rynek Nowomiejski 28).
For the whole festival period, Ethnographic Museum will host a photo exhibition Diversity of Ukraine, which represents the West, East, and South of Ukraine.
Authors: Anna Senik, Lena Rubashevskaya and Oleksandr Baron.