Вінніпеґ Український № 22 (46) (December 2018)

T
WINNIPEG PREMIERE OF LUHOVY’S DOCUMENARY
“GÉNOCIDE D’UNE NATION”
MARKS 85 th ANNIVERSARY OF HOLODOMOR
Valentina Noseworthy
his year Ukrainians in Manitoba and worldwide are marking
the 85th anniversary of the 1932-33 Famine-Genocide
(Holodomor) in Soviet Ukraine. Reaching out to the Frenchspeaking
community of Manitoba to mark this tragedy, the Winnipeg
premiere of the 75min French language feature documentary
film “Génocide d’une Nation”, which exposes Moscow’s policy
of genocide against the Ukrainian nation, was presented by the
University of St. Boniface Cinema Club on November 8, at the
University of Saint-Boniface. Montreal filmmaker, Yurij Luhovy,
member of the Academy of Canadian Film and Television and
director of “Génocide d’une Nation” was in attendance.
Engineered by Josef Stalin and his regime, millions of Ukrainians
were deliberately starved to death in one the greatest human
tragedies of the 20th century.
Welcome remarks were by Stéphane Oystryk of the Communications
Department, University of St. Boniface, followed by remarks also in
French by Prof. Orest Cap of the Faculty of Education, University of
Manitoba - a descendant of Holodomor survivors.
Yurij Luhovy then spoke on the making of the documentary, filmed
in the original areas of the famine-genocide in eastern Ukraine.
The film is based on testimonies of survivors, commentaries by
historians, declassified Soviet archival documents and rare historical
footage. He pointed out, these same areas are currently invaded by
Russia, where an ongoing war has lasted for over four years. Much
of the most recent archival documents found on Holodomor prior
to the war, once again, are being targeted and destroyed.
The narrator of “Génocide d’une Nation“ is internationally
renowned Quebec actor Geneviève Bujold. She was recorded in
Malibu, California, where she currently resides. Prior to receiving
the French-language script of the documentary, the actress was
surprised she never heard of the Famine-genocide. Voice-overs for
the documentary are by Quebec actors Vincent Davy and Louise
Latraverse. The English language version, “Genocide Revealed”, won
12 international awards, including Best Historical Film.
Special guests at the premiere were Claudine Lupien, Vice-Dean
of Faculty of Education, St. Boniface University, and His Eminence
Metropolitan Yurij (Kalischuk) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
of Canada, originally from Montreal, who speaks fluent French. A
reception organized by Irka Balan followed the screening.
The premiere of the French-language documentary was organized
by Valentina Noseworthy of the Manitoba Department of Education,
Irka Balan vice chair of UCC National Holodomor Awareness
Committee and Prof. Orest Cap - all three descendants of Holodomor
survivors. The event was sponsored by the Ukrainian Canadian
Congress - Manitoba Provincial Council, and the University of St.
Boniface (established in 1818).
14 Український Вінніпеґ - ГРУДЕНЬ 2018 -