A Ukrainian film festival will begin in Beijing this weekend in the latest sign of more engagement between China and the war-torn nation.
The festival, titled “Memory and Future: A Century of the Ukrainian Cinema”, will run until March next year. It was organised by the Ukrainian embassy in Beijing, the Goethe-Institute and the French Cultural Centre.
It aims to “provide the audience with a close look at the unique cinematic language, aesthetics and historical development of Ukrainian cinema”, the Goethe-Institute Beijing said in a post on its official WeChat account.
The start of the Ukrainian festival coincides with a week-long Russian event that began on Monday in Beijing as Moscow, now isolated by the West, also tries to boost cultural exchanges with neighbouring China. Seven films are being shown for the Russian festival, which also includes screenings in Nanjing and Shenzhen.
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Ukraine says it’s ready to resume ‘good faith’ negotiations with Russia
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It comes after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited Guangzhou last month, the first high-ranking Ukrainian official to travel to China since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Kyiv has been seeking support from Beijing to use its influence with Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Beijing has sought to position itself as a peacemaker in the conflict but has faced criticism over its support for Moscow and has never condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During their talks, Kuleba’s Chinese counterpart Wang Yi said Beijing was committed to playing a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire and peace talks. Kuleba said Kyiv was willing to negotiate directly with Moscow if it was ready to do so “in good faith”.
Wang also said the two sides should keep up communication and exchanges, improve mutual trust and continue their friendship, according to the Chinese readout.
In February, the Ukrainian and Polish embassies in Beijing screened the documentary 20 Days in Mariupol to mark the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. The documentary was filmed by Pulitzer Prize-winning Ukrainian reporter Mstyslav Chernov inside the besieged port city in the early days of the Russian attack in 2022.
However, only members of the diplomatic corps and media were allowed to attend the Beijing screenings because of the sensitivity of the topic.
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The festival will begin on Saturday at the Goethe-Institute with a free screening of Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, a 1965 Soviet-era romance by filmmaker Sergei Parajanov based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky.
The film had limited success in Ukraine and other Soviet states in the 1960s because of its emphasis on Ukrainian culture and language.
There will also be a free screening of Volcano, a 2018 drama and absurdist comedy that tells the story of a military translator stranded in remote southern Ukraine. Its director, Roman Bondarchuk, will join Chinese filmmakers at the Goethe-Institute for a discussion afterwards.
