‘Stand With Ukraine: The Guide’ will be in US theaters starting Friday, March 18th.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to tragic loss of life and a humanitarian crisis. Fundraising efforts have been launched, and the latest offers moviegoers the chance to stand with the people of the country.
The US filmmaking industry is rallying to help by providing its services for free around the re-release of Ukrainian movie ‘The Guide’.
Ukraine has a rich history of filmmaking that reaches back more than a century. For much of that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, but in the last 30 years Ukraine’s film industry has stood on its own. Before Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine was a vibrant center of film production.
In the 1930s, the Soviet regime pursued agricultural and other policies that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians. This “Terror Famine” represented a genocide aimed at Ukraine.
In 2014, Ukrainian filmmakers produced and released ‘The Guide’, a drama set in the 1930s depicting this Soviet oppression. The drama was selected as the Ukrainian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. The film also won the Best Actor and Cinematography awards that year at the Odessa International Film Festival.
The film’s director and producer, Oles Sanin, is currently locked down in Kyiv, but has provided a moving introduction now attached to the movie. It conveys the urgency of the situation and the need for assistance.
Donations from cinemas will be forwarded to a special Ukraine Relief Fund that is being managed by Human & Civil Rights Organizations of America, Inc. Marshall Strauss, a long-time human rights activist, is board president of this national group which was established in 1994 and has handled millions in donations.
“Less than two weeks ago, I offered my cinema in suburban Boston to show ‘The Guide’ as a fundraiser for Ukraine relief,” says Strauss. “Almost instantly, the effort exploded in size and key industry leaders joined the project, donating their services. Now, cinemas across the country are agreeing to show this milestone movie. The director and I agreed on only one condition: ticket proceeds are to go to humanitarian relief for Ukraine. Americans have this unique opportunity to stand with the people of Ukraine. We are all looking for a way to help. We now have it.”
If you’ve been wondering how you can help in a way that also offers some insight into the challenges faced by Ukrainians for years, this feels like the ideal opportunity. The money will be channeled to organizations that are already helping to provide aid, including the International Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration.
‘The Guide’ will be in US theaters starting Friday, March 18, and you can lend your support in a couple of ways – find a theater near you playing the film and book tickets through this link, or, if you don’t feel comfortable going to a cinema because of the continuing pandemic issues, donate directly right here.
‘Stand With Ukraine: The Guide’ will be in US theaters starting Friday, March 18th.
The Guide
Not Yet Rated2 hr
American boy Peter and blind minstrel Ivan are thrown together by fate amidst the turbulent mid-30s Soviet Ukraine. Read the Plot
