On August 12-14, a seminar on organizing and hosting the 23rd Travelling International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA took place in the village of Buzova in Kyiv Region.
Mariia Mendzhul, Head of the Board of NGO CAHR "Vested" and regional coordinator of the 23rd Travelling Docudays UA, took part in the seminar.
For three days, participants discussed how to make the upcoming festival meaningful, accessible, and truly engaging for people. In particular, they:
- presented the human rights program of the 23rd International Docudays UA, dedicated to participatory democracy and decolonization;
- spoke about decolonization as a prerequisite for participatory democracy;
- explored the film program of the 23rd Travelling Docudays UA and discussed involving film authors and characters in screenings;
- learned a trauma-informed approach to moderating sensitive topics;
- watched and discussed the film "Traces" directed by Alisa Kovalenko;
- analyzed viewer survey results and planned how to better conduct them during this year's Travelling festival;
- discussed screening accessibility and technical solutions for offline and online events;
- focused separately on partnerships, networking, collaboration with DOCU/CLUB film clubs, fundraising, and volunteer engagement.
For "Vested", participation in Docudays UA is a continuation of our work in the field of human rights. Documentary cinema provides an opportunity to speak about complex societal topics not in abstract terms, but through specific human stories and experiences. Shared viewing and post-screening conversations often serve as a great reason to start an important discussion.
This is precisely where we see the value of Travelling Docudays UA: the festival goes beyond cinema halls and reaches communities, where film becomes a space to talk about human rights, democracy, war, memory, responsibility, and social changes.
Ahead lies the preparation of the 23rd Travelling Docudays UA in Transcarpathia. And we are glad to be part of this work.
See you at the screenings!