Ukrainian film animation comes to Picky to mark Refugee Week

A Ukrainian movie animation – Mavka: The Forest Song – will be shown on the big screen at Picky later this month to mark Refugee Week. 

The Council’s Project Manager (Resettlement Schemes), Nataliia Kuzmina, approached the Picky Centre with the initial ask. 

She said: “We are delighted that the Picky Centre has listened to our request for the Ukrainian 3-D animation fantasy film to be shown on the big screen here in Orkney. 

“It will be a cinematic treat for our local refugees to have the chance to watch a big movie in Ukrainian, their own language, despite being so far from home. It really is the extra touches like this that makes their lives a little brighter.” 

The fantasy animation released in Ukraine in 2023, is based on Lesya Ukrainka’s drama “The Forest Song”, with characters drawn from Slavic mythology. Mavka, a Soul of the Forest and its warden, falls in love with a talented human musician, Lukas, and faces a dilemma between love and her duty as a guardian to the Heart of the Forest, which is under threat from a villain, Kylina.  

The film has set several national records and became the highest-grossing Ukrainian film project in independent Ukrainian cinematography and entered the list of the 20 best films in the history of Ukrainian cinema. 

There are four screenings at Picky - two in Ukrainian, with English subtitles, and two dubbed in English. 

Saturday 15 June at 2.30pm (dubbed English) 

Sunday 16 June 12noon (dubbed English) and 2.45pm (Ukrainian with English subtitles) 

Thursday 20 June 4.30pm (Ukrainian with English subtitles). 

Nataliia said: “Refugee Week runs from 17-23 June this year and the screenings are a simple way for people from Ukraine and others to show solidarity. We hope that many people in Orkney will continue to show their support by heading to the cinema to watch this wonderful animation that has been created despite the ongoing war within our homeland. 

“It’s a heart-warming adventure for all ages and celebrates the power of love, showing that good does win in the end.”