Director to talk to Shropshire students about experience of making film about war in Ukraine

We are U - a documentary film about five Ukrainian teenagers - will be shown at Ellesmere College on September 13 and then director Olenka Severenchuk will speak to the audience in a virtual Q&A.

The rare opportunity is also open to members of the public and offers a true insight into the lives of those living through war.

It was brought to the prestigious Shropshire school by Ukrainian student Anna Polonska, 14,who is working with The Arts Centre manager, Eliza Badham-Moore.

Year 11 student Anna said: “I am so pleased this film can be brought to Ellesmere College to show other students just what it is like to live through war as a teenager.

“It is sure to be an emotional evening and I think many people will have many questions for Olenka afterwards.”

Eliza added: “We are delighted to be able to show We are U here at the college to not only our own students, but others who would like to come along and experience this opportunity.

“It is a real coup that we have the opportunity to host a virtual Q&A with the director afterwards and we are honoured to do so, I am sure everyone who attends will learn a lot.”

The documentary follows the teenagers’ and their mentors over six months, sharing the living-through-war experience as well as their dreams and how-to-make-dreams-come-true projects.

They are from five different Ukrainian cities -  Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kakhovka, and Lviv - showing how the teens can give hope for the future.

The film was created by savED, a charity developed to help Ukrainian children access education to return them to the right to study, socialise and prepare for future success.

The screening will take place on September 13 at 7pm in The Arts Centre, Ellesmere College. It is one of just a few Universities and Colleges across the UK showing the film.

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