Prague marks Ukrainian invasion anniversary with film screenings

On the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, citywide screenings of contemporary Ukrainian films and theater performances will take place in cinemas and stages throughout Prague.

From Feb. 22 to 29, the Kinowar film cycle will offer screenings of four films: Love Is Worth All, When Spring Came to Bucha, One Day in Ukraine, and 20 Days in Mariupol. An accompanying program includes meeting with documentarians, historians, and journalists, said organizer Pavel Sandul.

"The goal of the event is to refresh the sense of urgency to help Ukraine and to remind people of the danger of a war conflict on the edge of Europe. The proceeds from the tickets will go to help the struggling Ukraine," Sandul said.

On Feb. 22, Prague’s Atlas Cinema will screen the co-produced short film Love Is Worth All. In it, the filmmakers record the reality of war from the perspective of daily life and personal relationships. Before this film, audiences can see the short Lviv. The Concert That Didn’t Happen, which presents the Lviv National Philharmonic, whose premises today serve as a logistics center for distributing medical and humanitarian aid. The films will be shown with both Czech and English subtitles.

On Feb. 24, Bio Oko will show the documentary When Spring Came to Bucha, which features personal stories from the war in Ukraine filmed in the first weeks after the liberation of the Bucha region. The doc follows several protagonists as they deal with the physical and psychological consequences of the Russian invasion. The film will be shown with both Czech and English subtitles.

Another documentary, A Day in Ukraine, will be screened on Feb. 27 at Edison Filmhub. The film shows thousands of Kyiv residents moving to the city's metro, as well as formerly quiet suburbs turned into war zones. The opening short will be Skateboarding on the Front Line. Both films will be shown with both Czech and English subtitles.

On Feb. 29, Kino 35 at the French Institute will present the award-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, in which a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol tries to continue their work after the start of the Russian invasion.

The film offers a harrowing account of civilians trapped under siege and an insight into what it’s like to bear witness from a conflict zone. The film screens with both Czech and English subtitles.

The two-year Ukraine war resulted in tens to hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions of refugees. Eurostat reports 4.31 million Ukrainian war refugees with temporary protection in the EU, with Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic hosting over 370,000.