From September 8 to 15, the city of Bolhrad (Ukraine, Odesa region) was completely immersed in the atmosphere of ethnographic films. The film festival, which originated in 2020 in Ukrainian Bessarabia, returned to its homeland after a three-year forced break. The festival program included 111 films from 61 countries. 50 of these films were Ukrainian and mostly reflected the ethnography of the present - the events of the russian-Ukrainian war.
On the evening of September 15, the official closing ceremony of the 5th anniversary edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival (Ukrainian part) took place. Guests, friends and fans of ethnographic films and OKO gathered at the Center for Culture and Leisure of the Bolhrad City Council. Online viewers were able to watch the live broadcast on the OKO Facebook page. The event began with a performance by the exemplary dance ensemble Natkhnennia. Afterwards, the host Tetiana Zhuzhukova told the audience how the film festival days of the 5th edition took place. Thanks to the Gözal taraf harmonica group from the village of Vynohradivka, Bolhrad district, all the presents listened to authentic Gagauz music. Artists Volodymyr Stamati-Hrubiian and Tetiana Zhuzhukova also greeted the film festival team with Ukrainian songs.
The mayor of Bolhrad, Mr. Serhii Dymytriev, and the head of the Department of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports of the Bolhrad City Council, Mrs. Zhanna Suslina, expressed their gratitude to the OKO IEFF director Tetiana Staneva. Zhanna Suslina presented Tatiana Staneva with a letter of thanks from the Bolhrad City Council and a commemorative clock.
The director Tetiana Staneva said: My team and I hoped that the Ukrainian edition of OKO would become a purely regional event for local residents. Our main goal was to show 111 films offline at home in Bolhrad. However, everything turned out to be much bigger and brighter than we had planned. It was incredibly nice to see both Ukrainian filmmakers and guests from Bulgaria in our region, who were able to come despite all the obstacles: complicated crossing of the transit zone near the Moldovan village of Palanca, increased control on the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, danger from missile attacks and the use of shaheds by russians in Odesa region.
I was worried that because of lack of funding we would not be able to fully realize our plans. I was afraid that Bolhrad would not be able to support us and become a co-organizer, but the local administration is very proud that OKO is held here, even with breaks, and was happy to help our team.
The last time we were here was in 2021, when technical capabilities and infrastructure were practically non-existent. During this time, the residents of Bolhrad won grants to create an inclusive audiovisual space in one of the buildings of the Center for Culture and Leisure of the Bolhrad City Council, which, among other things, hosted screenings of the festival films. A screen, a new projector, ramps, and toilets were installed there.
However, some guests from Kyiv criticized the venue, saying that it was strange that an international festival of this level was held in the middle of nowhere. Despite such comments, people in Bolhrad want the film festival to exist here and understand why they need it. But for me personally, this moment is extremely painful and unpleasant, because we have put a lot of effort, time and energy into making sure that local viewers see quality films, feel like a full-fledged part of Ukraine and are included in the all-Ukrainian context. These are the same “russified” people who are not used to watching Ukrainian films and films in Ukrainian in general.
Indeed, the moods and opinions here are not homogeneous, but this year we noticed that Ukrainian films had the largest audience, although I was afraid that it would be the other way around. I predict that the same will happen in Bulgaria, based on last year's experience. We are perceived there as a Ukrainian film festival (although since 2024 we have already been a Ukrainian-Bulgarian film festival), because OKO is almost the only one that brings contemporary Ukrainian films. And while Bulgarian viewers can watch films from other countries at other festivals, Ukrainian films can only be seen during the OKO IEFF.
Returning to the topic of the audience in Bolhrad, I would like to remind you that there are a lot of Ukrainian Bulgarians here. Screenings of films in their native Bulgarian, especially modern ones, were a pleasant surprise for them. And the fact that the Bulgarian actor Alek Alekseev, who practically stepped off the screen of a historical film, came to the city, stunned both teenagers and adults.
What we took into account was that the local audience needs to be taught to watch foreign films. It happened that people came to the screenings and left. Probably, they did not accept the films because the characters spoke an incomprehensible language, represented a little-known culture, or something else. People were not used to watching movies with subtitles, and some complained that it was difficult for them to compare the picture on the screen with the text under the image.
Before the full-scale war, about 15,000 people lived here, and after 2022, about 10,000 of them remained, so we did not expect overcrowded halls every day. Moreover, we brought a really big program, and sometimes the audience had to choose which film to go to when the ones they were interested in were shown at the same time. I can say that for a small town, we had quite a lot of viewers - sometimes up to 40 at one screening. I know that at the screenings of some famous film festivals in Kyiv, 8-10 people gathered, and this is in the capital! That is, our festival works, and it works very well.
On behalf of the other members of the Ukrainian jury (Zhanna Maksimenko-Dovhych, Philippa Cardoso, Petyr Todorov), Bulgarian jury member Hristo Anastasov thanked Bolhrad, the director of the OKO IEFF Tetiana Staneva and the entire team for their hospitality.
He justified the jury's decision: It was very difficult to choose the best among so many good films, and at first we didn't even know how to approach this process. However, thanks to the valuable experience of Philippa Cardoso, who has already been a jury member at film festivals, we managed to systematize the evaluation and do it much faster than it could have been. It's worth noting that the ZOOM-discussion lasted about three hours and captivated us so much that we didn't notice anything around us.
We focused on the following criteria:
- The cinematic quality of the film. It is clear that here we listened to the opinion of Philippa Cardoso and Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych, who are directly involved in the process of creating film products and can professionally evaluate the competition films.
- Historical truthfulness, factual accuracy, impact, or the degree of reliability of the reproduction of historical events in the films that claim to be so. This is where I, as a historian and political scientist, was most actively involved.
- The aesthetics of the film. This is a very subjective criterion, but when the opinions of all the jury members coincide, I think it is appropriate.
- Emotional impact.
- An application for innovation, an attempt to create something exceptional, something that is being done for the first time.
Using these criteria as a basis, you already evaluate fiction, animated and non-fiction films differently, which belong to different genres, even though they overlap to some extent.
Interestingly, we found great films in all three genres, but we were most impressed with non-fiction and animated films, and least impressed with fiction, although it is not to say that there were not some great works among them.
This is my first experience as a jury member at a film festival. Previously, I participated in conferences and conversations on various topics, including political ones, which actually helped me a lot. The fiercest discussions took place when someone had their own opinion about a film, and others completely disagreed with it, but we tried to respect and listen to each other. It's important to hear other people's arguments and agree with them, or continue to defend your own. In the end, we made all decisions collectively. I think we did a good job, at least we took it very seriously. It was a very pleasant meeting. I hope we managed to make the right choice, which will benefit both the films and the film festival.
In general, thanks to OKO, I became a participated in a wonderful ethnographic film for a whole week, which took place in a beautiful corner of Ukrainian Bessarabia.
Mr. Anastasov announced the list of films that won or were awarded Special Mentions.
The main award of the section - OKO Jury Grand Prize - goes to the film:
Mariupol. A Hundred Nights / Маріуполь. Сто ночей, dir. Sofiia Melnyk | 2023, Ukraine, Germany – Animated.
A little girl wakes up on February 24th because of the air alert and tries to find someone living in the burning city. A poem used in the film is «The wheels, the wheels, they hit the road» («Кolesa hlukho stukotiat») by Vasyl Stus who was a Ukrainian poet and an active member of the dissident movement during the Soviet occupation.
The jury honored the following films with special mentions:
For cinematic dialog between genres:
Nothing Special, dir. Efrat Berger | 2024, France, Israel – Animated.
Between four walls, two women are waiting. One, for death that keeps passing her by. The other, for her life to finally begin. Based on a recorded conversation, the film simulates their attempt to escape what they cannot help but live, while they realize that nothing can be sometimes special.
For the bold novelty of the concept, which combines creativity and tradition in an exceptional way:
Light of Light / Fos ek fotos, dir. Neritan Zinxhiria | 2023, Greece – Non-Fiction.
Before his death in 1932, a monk created his own camera in one of the most isolated places in the world. 90 years later, a filmmaker discovers and reconstructs the found footage.
In addition, in each category of the International Short Film Competition Program OKO GLOBAL, the jury also selected films that get special prizes:
Special Jury Prize for the Best Non-Fiction Short Film
Sisters of Wind / Hermanas del Viento, dir. Julia Carrizo Solanas | 2024, Argentina – Non-Fiction.
Twenty five years ago the sikuris band "Our Lady of Fátima" was founded, the first band in Argentina made up only of women. In the pilgrimage to the Abra of Punta Corral, a tradition formerly carried out by men, the band remembers the conquest of that space, from the bond, their fears, motivations and the network they form through music.
Special Jury Prize for the Best Animated Short Film
Our Uniform, dir. Yegane Moghaddam | 2023, IRI – Animated.
A social satire about school uniforms in Iran and how girl students experience them.
Special Jury Prize for the Best Fiction Short Film
Aqueronte, dir. Manuel Muñoz Rivas | 2023, Spain – Fiction.
On board a ferry, a series of passengers cross a river from one riverbank to the other. Some of the travelers wrap themselves in silence and observe the unfamiliar fellow travelers or contemplate the scenery. Some others chat, perhaps to liven up the voyage and speed up time. The journey on the waters seems to expand, the destination shore is postponed, the magnitude of space is blurred. Motion itself is perhaps the only certainty.
As OKO is an ethnographic film festival, the jury evaluated the films from the point of view of ethnography and awarded a special prize to the film
The Special Jury Prize for Best Ethnographic Representation Short Film
Further and Further Away / Chhngai dach alai, dir. Polen Ly | 2022, Cambodia – Fiction.
A young indigenous Bunong woman and her older brother spend one last day in their rural village in northeastern Cambodia, before an impending move to the capital city in search of a more prosperous life. While her brother is excited for the move, she senses a quiet desire to return to their long-gone village that was lost to the development of a nearby hydroelectric dam a few years earlier.
The audience voting lasted all week. Festival visitors chose their favorite among the films of all 4 competition programs.
According to the estimates, the Audience Award of the Ukrainian Editions goes to the film
A Poem for Little People, dir. Ivan Sautkin, Ukraine / 2023, Lithuania – Non-Fiction.
A cinéma verité look at the most vulnerable caught up in the front lines of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the volunteers of an evacuation team, putting their lives on the line to save them.
As a partner and co-organizer, the Bolhrad City Council also made its choice for the films of the NASHE OKO competition program.
The Bolhrad City Council Audience Award for the favorite film in the NASHE OKO competition program
Ballad of Ferris the Self-appointed Knight and Smokie the Fire Breathing Dragon, 2024, dir. Penko Gelev, Bulgaria – Animated. The village blacksmith Ferris decides to become a knight and thus change his fate. The encounter with Smokie the fire-breathing dragon will help him to make deep conclusions about his own life and the importance of friendship.
We would like to say that the winner of the OKO GLOBAL International Short Film Competition Program received a cash prize of 600 euros. All the winners and diploma holders also received a festival award in the form of a "tsehlynka" with the slogans of the 5th edition “Fight - you will win!” and “For Truth and Freedom”, handmade from clay by Uliana Dzhyhryniuk, whose husband and son are also potters, but are currently fighting for Ukraine's victory at the front.
This year's screenings were possible due to the support of our partners, including: Bolhrad City Council, Orlivka Ferry Complex LLC, BOLGRAD TM, MEGOGO, Suspilne Broadcasting, Sofia City Council, Bulgarian National Film Center, Power Film Production, and the Association of Creative Individuals “OKO”.
Our warm congratulations to the winners and diploma holders of the Ukrainian part of the 5th edition of the OKO IEFF. We wish you inspiration for new works, health and peace! We thank everyone who was with us during the festival week.
We have already begun preparations for the OKO Film Festival in Sofia (Bulgaria), which will take place from November 8 to 15, 2024. Despite all the obstacles, we continue to fight for our main mission: to open the world to Ukraine and Bulgaria and Ukraine and Bulgaria to the world!
If we fight, we will win!
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