Kino 2026 | Ukrainian cinema: a century of innovation, struggle, and resilience | Full course

For decades, Ukrainian cinema was overshadowed by imperial narratives, with its most innovative works appropriated or censored. Yet, despite these challenges, Ukrainian filmmakers created distinctive and influential artistic movements—from the revolutionary avant-garde of the 1920s to the poetic cinema of the 1960s, and the socially engaged documentaries of the present. This course will guide you through the key periods, figures, and phenomena that have shaped Ukrainian film history.

Over the eight weeks of the online course, we will examine pivotal moments in Ukrainian cinema, from Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s avant-garde masterpieces to the poetic language of Parajanov and the rise of independent Ukrainian cinema. We will explore the new wave of Ukrainian documentary filmmaking following the Revolution of Dignity and the challenges faced by filmmakers with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. As Ukrainian cinema continues to gain international recognition, we will consider its future directions and the impact of war on its storytelling.

This course explores the dynamic and often turbulent history of Ukrainian filmmaking, tracing its artistic triumphs, ideological battles, and contributions to world cinema.

We offer an exceptional opportunity to engage with leading experts in Ukrainian film studies and cinema history, including scholars and practitioners from Ukraine and beyond. Whether you are new to Ukrainian cinema or a dedicated cinephile, this course will provide fresh insights into a film tradition that  grows ever more artistically vibrant and politically urgent.

What you can expect

• Comprehensive course handbook and materials
• Engaging discussions with lecturers, fellow students, and an informal Q&A with Ukrainian film director Roman Bondarchuk and producer Darya Averchenko
• Access to recorded video lectures for flexible learning

No prior knowledge of Ukrainian cinema is required—just curiosity and a passion for film. All seminars will be conducted in English.

The course will be held online, via Zoom.

Course curator and coordinator: Olga Sydorushkina, film programmer, critic, UIL Programme Curator.

Dates

8 weekly seminars and 1 Q&A with film director Roman Bondarchuk and producer Darya Averchenko: 3 March – 21 April 2026
Time: 18:30 – 20:00 (London time)

Fees

Full course:
£240 (early bird discount until 15 February)
£260 general (£180 student) — includes a Certificate of Completion, and full course materials

One seminar:
£35 general (£25 student) — includes course materials and video recording for the seminar attended

Friends and Benefactors of the Institute discounts:
Full course: £234 general (£162 student)
One seminar: £31.50 general (£22.50 student)

How to enrol

You can enrol by registering for the full course or individual seminars below.

Should you have any queries, please email us at [email protected]. We will aim to respond within five working days.

Programme

3 March ‘Ukrainian poetic cinema: the flowering and the tragedy’ with Vitaly Chernetsky
10 March ‘The Great Break: Ukrainian Cinema in 1920–30s. From emancipation to Sovietisation’ with Ivan Kozlenko
17 March ‘Queering Socialist Realism: Serhii Parajanov’s early Ukrainian films and his transition to poetic cinema’ with Olha Briukhovetska
24 March ‘Dealing with Soviet reality: Kira Muratova’s films as a distorted mirror, smashed to pieces’ with Anna Onufriienko
31 March ‘Filming turbulent times: is there a Ukrainian documentary wave after 2014?’ with Yuliia Kovalenko
7 April ‘Ukrainian cinema of the 1990s: from free market to free fall’ with Stanislav Menzelevskyi
14 April ‘Survival mode: the Ukrainian cinema after 2022’ with Daria Badior
21 April ‘Ukrainian cinema from Maidan to 2022: rebirth in times of changes’ with Anthelme Vidaud