Watch two striking films that represent contemporary Ukrainian cinema and support children and families affected by the war. All proceeds from the screening will be donated to the organisation Голоси дітей (Voices of Children).

Stop-Zemlia, which won Best Film in the Berlinale Generation 14plus competition, outlines the psychological mood of today’s Ukrainian youth in the aftermath of Maidan and the events of 2014. The semi-autobiographical characters  electrify the pale green classrooms, dispel the gloom, seek to understand their parents, fall in love… All of them look forward to new beginnings.

Atlantis was the Ukrainian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards. The film follows Sergei, a war veteran suffering from PTSD, as he tries to find his place in Eastern Ukraine in the year 2025. Since the war with Russia, this part of Ukraine has turned into a muddy field pervaded by despair. Katya, an activist dedicated to identifying those who fell in the war, becomes a ray of hope in the veteran’s life. Released in 2019, the film imagines the physical and emotional reality that follows warfare with painful precision, something we can plainly see is not just a figment of the imagination.

The charity Voices of Children was chosen together with the filmmakers. The charity has been providing psychological support to Ukrainian children since 2015 and during the war has helped Ukrainian families to evacuate. It also provides psychological first aid to those affected by the war. RIGA IFF will donate 100% of the proceeds from the charity screenings, which will take place from 14 to 30 April. For more information about the initiative, please contact press@rigaiff.lv.