Ukrainian Film Week in Prague: Full Houses and Moved Czech Audiences
From 11 to 17 November 2025, the Ukrainian Film Week is taking place at the Atlas cinema in Prague. The opening night sold out entirely — extra chairs had to be brought in. Yaryna Yasynevych of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation and festival director Lenka Víg spoke about the event’s impact on Czech audiences in an interview with Espreso TV.
The Ukrainian Film Week in Prague has been organised since 2017 by the Ruta organisation, led by Lenka Víg. Its purpose is Ukrainian cultural diplomacy: bringing the reality of Ukraine to Czech audiences through documentary and feature films.
Opening Night: 2,000 Meters to Andriivka and Not a Seat to Spare
The festival opened with Mstyslav Chernov’s film “2,000 Meters to Andriivka” — and the hall was packed. Czechs made up the majority of the audience, alongside diplomats, NGO representatives and academics. “No one left the hall, and the debate was lively,” noted Lenka Víg. Czech media she spoke with after the screening were “truly very moved”.
Yaryna Yasynevych of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, who travelled from Kyiv as a partner of the festival, observed that after the screening viewers from very different backgrounds all converged on the same thought: the film reminds people of the price being paid in the fight for freedom. “Although Ukraine is constantly in the media, people live their daily lives, and this reminder is extraordinarily important,” she explained.
Programme: From Documentaries to Children’s Films
The organisers deliberately curated a varied selection. Alongside heavy documentary fare, the programme includes a comedy and “Grey Bees” — an adaptation of Andriy Kurkov’s novel, noted for its “very beautiful, gentle humour”. Saturday’s screening is the children’s film “Dzhura Krolevych”.
After Prague, the festival moves to Brno, where Days of Ukrainian Cinema will be held in early December. The festival team — Tanya Okopna and Iryna Zabiaka — are preparing the programme together with the director.
Source: Espreso TV.
