Film / News
Local cinemas support Ukraine with charity screenings of ‘Olga’
A 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast dreams of Olympic gold but finds herself exiled in Switzerland while a revolution is staged in her homeland. Meanwhile, her investigative journalist mother faces danger as she challenges a brutal regime.
Elie Grappe’s timely directorial debut, Olga, was premiered during International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival 2021, where it won the SACD Award. Ordinarily, it would have gone on to enjoy a limited arthouse release in the UK. But the events of the last couple of weeks have changed everything. Now the film is being previewed in more than 300 cinemas nationwide in a partnership between Cornwall-based 606 Distribution and the BFI. A donation from each ticket sold will be made to support Ukraine via the Disasters Emergency Committee.
“I planned to release Olga in the late Spring, but the invasion of Ukraine made me very
nervous about releasing the film at all,” confesses Pat Kelman, Director of 606 Distribution. “When Watershed Cinema Curator Mark Cosgrove mentioned that venues were looking for a way to show support for Ukrainians, I realised that this very human and dramatic film set against the Ukraine 2013 Maidan Revolution could now resonate and connect with UK audiences in a meaningful way.”
Anastasia Budiashkina – now safely in Poland
The film’s lead actress Anastasia Budiashkina is a former member of Ukraine’s national gymnastics team. She arrived in Poland on Monday after leaving Kharkiv to escape the war. Endorsing the UK release, she says: “I am very glad that Olga will be seen in the UK, and people will see the situation going on with Ukraine.”
is needed now More than ever
Olga is showing at Bath’s Little Cinema on March 20, the Watershed on March 22 and Clevedon’s Curzon Cinema on March 23. Additional cinemas are being added all the time. Check the official website for the latest screening information.
All images supplied by 606 Distribution
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