A working version of the movie "BUCHA" was shown in eight US cities

At the end of February, the creative team of the feature film BUCHA completed a two-month tour of the United States, whose work was presented as part of the Art Against Propaganda project and at events marking the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine unbroken: 2 years of strength.

Private screenings took place in eight cities across the US: in Washington, DC at the Ukrainian House; in New York at Columbia University, the Ukrainian Institute of America, and the Harvard Club; in Los Angeles at the Ukrainian Cultural Center; in Salt Lake City during the Sundance Film Festival; in New Jersey at the Cambridge Club House; in Philadelphia, San Diego, and Boston.

The honored guests of the events were Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Serhii Kyslytsia, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova, William Taylor – American diplomat, human rights activist, and author Mitzi Perdue, President of the Ukrainian Institute of America Katie Nalyvaiko, representatives of the Institute of Peace, film director Rob Nilsson (Northern Lights), William Goldstein – American composer, winner of three Emmy nominations and a Grammy nomination, Semen Dukach – Managing Director of Techstars, also known as a leading business angel, U.S. congressmen, representatives of business, local agencies and the general public who have supported Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor for two years and continue to express their support.

The events were also attended by wounded Ukrainian soldiers who are in the United States receiving medical care for prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation.

The screenings were organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Institute of America in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, the Blue and Yellow Foundation, the Leonid Foundation and the Deneeze marketing agency.

The screening of the film BUCHA aroused great interest in the American media: CNN, Forbes, TIME, New York Times, Vox, Financial Times, Daily Mail, Newsmax, USA Today, WSJ, Foreign policy, whose journalists and correspondents attended the events.

In his opening remarks at the event in New York, Serhii Kyslytsia reflected on the importance of Ukrainian unity in this time of war:

"Today, as we gather in this important center of Ukrainian culture and history in New York, we are also reminded of the harsh realities at home with tonight's screening of the film Bucha. This film is a harrowing portrayal of the atrocities and suffering inflicted during the Russian invasion. It serves as a vivid reminder of why our unity and resolve are more critical than ever."

Katie Nalyvaiko, President of the Ukrainian Institute of America, welcomed the guests and said:

"We are honored to be working with Oleksandr Shchur and his team to bring BUCHA to New York. I have to say that I've seen it before, and you will be amazed. You will be on the edge of your seat and you will probably never forget many of the scenes in this movie."

"There is nothing more important at our event than encouraging people to express their support for Ukraine," said William Taylor, American diplomat, 6th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Ukraine, Chargé d'Affaires of the United States to Ukraine.

The events included meetings with Oleksandr Shchur, producer and screenwriter of the film, Stanislav Tiunov, director of the film, Cezary Lukaszewicz, Polish actor, and lead actor, and Heide Rizayeva, representative of the GUR, who curated Konstantin, the prototype of the film's protagonist. The guests participated in a panel discussion on countering Russian propaganda. In addition, charity auctions were held, featuring exclusive items donated by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and Zampotech volunteers, lots from the Armed Forces Command, and other war artifacts to raise funds for the Ukrainian military.

"We have two main goals. The first one is to counter Russian propaganda all over the world, "says Oleksandr Shchur, scriptwriter and producer of the film BUCHA.

– Cinema is one of the most powerful tools for delivering messages to the world. If someone thinks that everyone in Europe and the United States knows exactly what happened in Ukraine and believes only us, then unfortunately, they are deeply mistaken. The Russians have already filmed and are showing the propaganda films "Azovstal. Liberation" and "Witness" with their version of the events in Mariupol and Bucha. The world will likely see enough Russian films and accept their narratives. We have to tell the truth!

Our second goal is to honor the memory of the victims. While working on the script, we met with all the characters or relatives of the victims. And the first thing we asked them was whether they would mind telling their story for the movie and whether such a movie is needed. And they all answered: "Yes, we want the whole world to know about it."

Stanislav Tiunov, the director of BUCHA: "This film changes people, their thoughts, their worldview. We see all this during the private screenings of the film. Everyone sees something different and everyone will not remain indifferent. I recommend everyone to watch it and just feel it."

The movie BUCHA is a feature drama based on real events. The protagonist is a foreigner who decided to fight evil in the country that has become his home.

The plot of the film is based on the events that took place in the cities of Bucha, Vorzel, and Gostomel during the Russian occupation in February-March 2022. The film will tell the story of the rescue of residents by Konstantin Gudauskas, a citizen of Kazakhstan who was granted asylum in Ukraine and lived in Bucha. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thanks to his Kazakh passport, he has been able to travel to the territory occupied by Russian troops and evacuate civilians. Konstantin not only saves people but also sees the horror of war and occupation with his own eyes.

The main roles in the movie "BUCHA" were played by the famous Polish theater and film actor Cezary Lukaszewicz and the star of Ukrainian cinema Vyacheslav Dovzhenko.

Bucha was made with money from private investors and no public funds. The film will premiere in Ukraine in September this year.

You can follow the news and the filming process on Facebook, Instagram and the official website of the film bucha.film.