Ukrainian film festival Berlin in cooperation with Silent Green presents
Documentary “ADA” by Alina Matochkina about the love, creativity, and courage of two prominent Ukrainian artists, Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnichenko. They are the authors of the first Crematorium in Ukraine (The Park of Memory in Kyiv), the artistic design of the Kyiv Bus Station, the House of Creativity for Children and Youth, and many others, which you will discover in the film.
Ada and Volodymyr worked on their grand masterpiece the Park of Memory for a total of 13 years. However, in the spring of 1982, due to non-compliance with official canons, the heart of the project “The Wall of Memory” measuring 2,000 square meters was concreted over by the decision of Soviet bureaucrats.
The film was created over a period of 7.5 years, starting in 2013, and portrays a significant period of Volodymyr's life after he lost Ada. Despite the loss, he remained resilient and continued their shared struggle to preserve their artistry and keep Ada's memory alive.
We are honored to host the event in the former crematorium of Wedding and the first crematorium in Berlin built in 1912 converted in cultural space and event venue. The event will take place in the preserved 1600sqm concrete hall with its industrial charm Betonhalle.
ADA, Alina Matochkina, Ukraine 2022, 92’
The love and courage of two genius Ukrainian artists, whose works have always been contrary to the system helped them to survive even after the destruction of their main work of life, which they had been building for 13 years.
But can the struggle continue if only one of the two remains?
Performance “Table for Boichukists”, 30’
Performer - Mariia Mytrofanova, director - Alina Matochkina
One of the arguments for the destruction of Rybachuk and Melnichenko's Wall of Memory was the accusation of Boichukism, but at the time (1982) the authors had no idea who this was because the memory of these artists had been erased, just as the memory of Rybachuk and Melnichenko was later erased among the next generation of independent Ukrainian artists.
Boychukists were a group of prominent Ukrainian artists who were shot in 1937 in the Bykivnia forest, on the outskirts of Kyiv.
The live music accompanies the performance.