OLGA: Film screening with audience discussion
On Tuesday, May 17, at 7:45 p.m., ASTOR will host the film OLGA by French director Elie Grappe. The film is about the talented 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast Olga, played by Anastasia Budiashkina. The protagonist lives in exile in Switzerland and fights to be included in the national team. But then the Euromaidan uprising breaks out in Kiev, suddenly involving all her loved ones. The revolution turns her life and her ambitious plans upside down. The film is in French and Ukrainian with German subtitles. "OLGA is at once a sports film and deeply human and political, captivating with its powerful leading lady and impressive gymnastic scenes. At the same time, it makes us aware of how torn many people are who live far from their homeland while major upheavals are happening there and loved ones are in danger," outlines Karina Gauerhof, director of the program at BIFF.
After the film, there will be an audience discussion with Zoya Trupp, representative of Freie Ukraine Braunschweig e.V. "We are very happy about the cooperation with BIFF and are grateful for the support and the platform provided. Events like this and also further support are essential as the situation is still dramatic. We therefore hope and look forward to any support and ask everyone who wants to and can help to do so", Zoya Trupp, representative of Freie Ukraine e.V. clarifies the relevance of the fundraising event. The screening is made possible through the cooperation with ASTOR Filmtheater and Freie Ukraine Braunschweig e.V., to which the collected proceeds from ticket sales will also go. "We are also pleased to be able to show the film OLGA together with Freie Ukraine e.V. and thus to offer a platform for the work of the association and to support it financially. Our thanks also go to the ASTOR Filmtheater Braunschweig, which so generously makes this event possible," says Thorsten Rinke, Chairman of the Board of the Filmfest Verein, underlining the relevance of the event.
Tickets and free admission for refugees
The presale has already started: tickets for the event are available at www.braunschweig.premiumkino.de/film/olga. Tickets for the event are available in advance through ASTOR. In order to also enable those affected to participate in this important and interesting event, refugees (including non-Ukrainians) will receive free admission at the box office upon presentation of their Ukrainian passport or a registration/residence document proving their current status.
General information about the event and information about Freie Ukraine Braunschweig e.V. is available at www.freieukraine-braunschweig.de and also on the social media platforms at www.instagram.com/filmfestivalbraunschweig, www.facebook.com/BraunschweigInternationalFilmFestival and www.instagram.com/freieukrainebraunschweig.