Columbia University in the City of New York

Harriman Institute

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The Long Breakup – Film Screening & Discussion

This event was held virtually on Zoom.

Registrants received a link to independently view the film prior to the live event. To watch the video of the discussion, view it on YouTube or scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Please join the Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University and the Harriman Institute for an online screening and discussion of The Long Breakup (2020), directed by Katya Soldak. The discussion with the director of the film will be moderated by Yuri Shevchuk.

The Long Breakup is a feature length documentary about Ukraine’s struggle to escape Russia’s embrace, leave its Soviet past behind and become a truly independent nation. Ukrainian-American journalist Katya Soldak, of Forbes Magazine, now living in New York City, tells the story of Ukraine, her country of origin, as it exits the USSR, works through two revolutions, and endures a war with Russia—all through the eyes of her family and friends in Kharkiv, a large Ukrainian city just 18 miles from the Russian border.

The Long Breakup takes viewers on an intimate journey that illustrates how big geopolitical changes affect people on a personal level, and explores what happens when democracy slips away and a nation must fight for the right to choose its future. The tale offers insight into what it’s like for an immigrant to watch her native country go through crises from afar; but, most importantly, it’s a personal tale about life in the former Soviet republic, whose struggle for freedom forms the backdrop of so many lives.

The Long Breakup was filmed over the course of a decade, and features an original soundtrack, as well as music from Ukrainian and Soviet artists. The film is intended for global audiences with general interests, as well as for those interested in the USSR and post-Soviet developments.

Katya Soldak is a New-York-based journalist, born and raised in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Katya works as an editorial director for Forbes Magazine’s international editions, having previously toiled in the world of documentary production at CBS News Productions and various production houses in New York City. A Columbia School of Journalism alumna, she’s interviewed high-profile politicians and artists and has written cover stories for Forbes about Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs. Katya is the author of the memoir-essay This Is How Propaganda Works, about growing up in the Soviet Union.

Link to the film’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thelongbreakup

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