On 24 February 2025, Ukraine marks three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion—an act of unprovoked aggression that escalated a war first launched in 2014. What Russia imagined as a swift takeover has become an ongoing war, with Ukrainians resisting despite the devastating toll.
More than 140,000 war crimes have been documented, over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported, and entire cities have been destroyed.
To bring awareness to the need for just sustainable peace for Ukraine, a special film screening will take place in Pretoria and Cape Town. These events will expose Russian war crimes, highlight Ukrainian resilience, and call on South Africa to be more vocal against human rights violations and supportive of just sustainable peace for Ukraine.
The ‘Family Album’ screening, organised by the Embassy of Ukraine to the RSA and the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (NPO #189-705), provides a compelling reflection on Ukraine’s long-standing struggle for freedom and survival.
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The documentary drama ‘Family Album’, directed by Maryna Tkachuk, connects the Holodomor of 1932-1933 to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It follows British photographer Samara Pearce, who, after discovering that her great-grandfather, Austrian engineer Alexander Wienerberger, secretly documented the Holodomor, embarks on a journey to Kharkiv to capture the truth of Russia’s continued aggression today.
Nearly a century ago, Wienerberger risked his life to smuggle out photographs of starving Ukrainians under Stalin’s genocidal policies, yet Russian disinformation at the time claimed these atrocities never happened. Now, Samara follows in his footsteps, using her own lens to provide visual evidence and emotional insight into Ukraine’s suffering in the hope that the lessons of history speak to the global community. The film, produced by Good Morning Films, is more than a historical reflection—it is a call to action against modern-day genocide and a testament to the power of artists and photographers in the fight for justice. ‘Family Album’ has been translated into five languages and was selected for international film festivals, including its world premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival in 2024.
Director Maryna Tkachuk, a celebrated Ukrainian filmmaker, brings a powerful and urgent voice to the film. Known for her investigative documentaries, she uncovers untold stories of resistance, survival, and historical injustice.
“The struggle of Ukrainians for survival, statehood, and identity has lasted for centuries. The world remained indifferent to Ukraine’s suffering during the Holodomor. Today, we face a moment of truth—will the world stand up to Russian aggression? Through this film, we expose patterns of genocide and historical erasure that Russia has carried out for decades. The camera is not just a tool of documentation but a weapon in the fight for justice,” says Tkachuk.
After the screenings, a discussion will feature the Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa and Samara Pearce, whose work preserves historical records of Russian oppression.
“The images my great-grandfather captured stood as silent witnesses to an unspeakable genocide, and today, history is repeating itself. My art is not just about remembrance but resistance. I want the world to understand that this war is not only about land—it is about identity, truth, and the right to exist. In a world overflowing with disinformation, documenting the truth has become a weapon in itself,” said Pearce.
The war against Ukraine is part of a broader agenda to weaken democracy and expand Russian influence. This is why the voices of South Africans, civil society, political leaders, and human rights advocates are critical to ensuring that crimes against humanity do not go unanswered.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova, emphasised the need for international solidarity, drawing parallels between Ukraine’s fight for survival and South Africa’s history of resisting oppression.
“The violation of sovereignty and human dignity anywhere in the world must be condemned without hesitation. South Africa has a history of championing human rights globally. We urge the South African government to stand firm against aggression, against the abduction of children, against the suppression of identity and faith, against nuclear blackmail, against war crimes that destabilise the world. Ukraine is fighting not just for its land, but for a just world order that protects all nations from dictatorship,” said Abravitova.
The war has also impacted Africa, with Russia directly fueling instability on the continent through military interventions, coups, and resource exploitation.
Researcher and activist Dzvinka Kachur warns that allowing Russia to act with impunity in Ukraine sets a dangerous precedent that threatens African nations as well.
