Elegy Of Living Voices
Documentary Film and Photography by Liliya Syvytska
On April 27th, join us for a special one-day presentation of new work by emerging documentary filmmaker and photographer Liliya Syvytska.
Admission is by donation, courtesy of BMO Financial Group
The film will be playing on a continuous loop throughout the day
Event starts at 7pm
Listen to an interview with Liliya Syvytska on the CBC
RSVPs are helpful
Elegy of living voices | Ukraine | 2023 | 15 min | Ukrainian (with English subtitles)
Elegy of War | Series of 10 inkjet prints, 2022-3
Liliya Syvytska's short documentary Elegy of living voices, filmed on location in Ukraine, follows life in villages as residents adapt to a new reality after liberation from Russian occupation. Syvytska joined the volunteer organisation Repair Together, continuously travelling with them for several weeks while documenting daily life in the post-battle zones. In the film, local communities welcome volunteers who not only help them rebuild, but also share music and moments of joy, despite the trauma of the war.
Accompanying the film is a suite of ten photographs, taken in central and northern regions of Ukraine. The images recall the photojournalism of Alexander Glyadyelov, presented in The Polygon 2022 exhibition Alexander Glyadyelov: Gathering Darkness, which Syvytska helped to produce.
"The war and its shadow stay forever – in the body, in the memories, in stories, like a long mourning song,” says Syvytska. “Elegy, in the form of a film and photographs, appears after a serious reflection on witnessing life surviving war. Through work, hope, and human connection, light and voices grow, reaching the photographs' edges and touching hearts.”
The artist will be onsite from 6pm-7pm to discuss the photographs on view. At 7pm, Elegy of living voices will be screened, followed by a talkback and Q&A.
About Liliya Syvytska
Liliya Syvytska is an emerging Ukrainian film director who explores how humanity adapts to different cultural and political changes, sharing her personal experiences through her raw, poetic approach to filmmaking. Since her arrival in Vancouver for the UBC Film Production Program, Syvytska completed the VIFF catalyst mentorship program. After the first month of full-scale invasion on her home country, she returned to Ukraine to film in the villages that survived Russian occupation.
Recently, Syvytska co-founded the organisation Art Shield together with NY-based actor Edward Akrout, which focuses on creating, preserving, and sharing dissident art. Currently she is in post-production for her film Roots (Korinnya), exploring the painful challenges of temporarily displaced Ukrainians in foreign lands. Syvytska also continues to perform onscreen and has appeared in various short films, commercials, and will make her feature film debut in a starring role in Soft spoken weepy cult child, shown at Whistler Film Festival.
www.liliyasyvytskafilm.com