Gesa Power House Theater proudly presents “An Evening of Ukrainian Shorts,” a benefit screening of short films on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. This series is curated by Director of Film Programming Warren Etheredge and brought to you in part by Walla Walla Movie Crush.
The next installment of our Power House Movie series, “An Evening of Ukrainian Shorts,” brings to your local screen a selection of short films created, directed, and produced by Ukrainian filmmakers. In this line-up of deeply moving pieces is “Diaper Cake” (directed by Anastasia Babenko), a short following two young people and their baby having to grow up fast during difficult times, and “Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles” (directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk), a film exploring the lives of sculptors in west Ukraine who previously made religious statues and now fin themselves retraining to build anti-tank obstacles to help fend off the Russian invasion.
These short films stand as a testament to the power and resilience of the Ukrainian people no matter the circumstances. As Director Anastasia Babenko puts it, “Ukraine is not a ruin. It’s a place of love, power, and freedom. ‘Life will win over death, and the light will win over darkness.'”
Addressing her short film, Director Anastasia Babenko said, “‘Diaper Cake’ is a love letter to my sister Katia and to my nephew Zakhar, and more broadly, to all Ukrainian women and children. Since the war broke out in my home country, my perception of the film has changed drastically. Our story is set in a maternity hospital, and I can’t help thinking about the maternity hospital in Mariupol destroyed by a Russian airstrike on March 9, 2022. As of April 2022, at least 217 children were killed, and 393 children were injured in this war. Those who died in that horrible attack resemble our characters a lot. They were young people at their most intimate, pure and hopeful, happy to bring another life into this world. My sister and my five-year-old nephew are now refugees. They had to leave their home like millions of Ukrainians. With the images of destroyed Ukrainian cities in the media, I would like to show another side of Ukraine.”
For an inside look into “Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles,” watch Director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s statement for Sundance Film Festival 2023.
A portion of this event’s proceeds will be donated to Livyj Bereh, a volunteer and artist-run charity dedicated to rebuilding houses in war-torn but liberated areas of Ukraine. To see this group in action and to show your support, visit Livyj Bereh’s instagram profile.
Tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.
