Hyde Park Picture House is the latest in Leeds to show its support for the people of Ukraine.
The cinema will be donating ticket sales of a range of movies to the UNHCR Refugee Agency Emergency Appeal, which aids Ukrainians that are forced to flee their homes in search of shelter and safety.
The showings will highlight a selection of Soviet 60s movies alongside more contemporary films that feature Ukrainian talent or storylines, as well as raising money for the cause.
All movies will also be shown either as a socially distanced or reduced capacity showing. The first being a distanced screening of Wings on Sunday 20th March at 3.30pm inside Leeds University Union.
The picture house had initially planned to host a Soviet 60’s screening season but decided in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this could no longer go ahead as planned.
Instead, they have revised the schedule and plan to donate all proceeds to help Ukrainian refugees in need.
Hyde Park Picture House explained that:
“This screening of Larisa Sheptiko‘s Wings was originally part of the Soviet 60’s season, alongside three other Russian and Armenian-language films from the 1960s, in collaboration with Klassiki.
“In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this season is now no longer able to go ahead as planned. However, we have decided to go proceed with our screening of Wings, for two reasons. Firstly, Larisa Shepitko was a Ukrainian director, and her work is an important part of the cultural heritage of a country now under assault. And secondly, we’ve agreed with Klassiki to donate all the ticket sales to the UNHCR emergency appeal.”
Olga, a movie about a young gymnast with Olympic-potential leaves Kyiv just as Ukraine experiences unprecedented political turmoil, will be shown at Leeds University Union on Sunday 3 April 2022 at 3.40pm with a reduced capacity.
The film follows the life of Olga, who is a distant bystander, as her mother, an investigative journalist, challenges a brutal regime. A subtle, tensely handled tale of exile reflecting the pressures on young athletes, the clash between the personal and the political, and Olga’s search for who she is and what she is prepared to sacrifice.
Read More: Website crashes as over 100,000 people sign-up to open their homes to Ukraine refugees in UK
Meanwhile, We and Our Mountains, “one of the most storied of the USSR’s so-called “national” cinemas, which remains relatively unknown abroad” will be shown at 3.30pm the following weekend on Sunday 15 May 2022- another of the Soviet 60s season that was due to be shown but was cancelled in light of current events.
Hyde Park Picture House in its current scaffolded state is presented in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to show its support.
For more information, including how to book a seat at the showings, visit the Hyde Park Picture House website.
Feature Image- Hyde Park Picture House
