"The Undefeated" premieres in DC with diplomats in attendance (11/04/01)

"The Undefeated" premieres in DC with diplomats in attendance

by Serhiy Zhykharev
Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - On October 11, Oles Yanchuk's film, "The Undefeated," an epic story of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) leader Roman Shukhevych was presented in Washington.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) co-sponsored the film along with the Ukraine's Ministry of Culture, the Dovzhenko National Film Studio and Oles Film Productions. The film portrays the plight of the Gen. Shukhevych, as well as the struggle of the Ukrainian people against Soviet occupation. "The Undefeated" is both an accurate chronicle of the UPA and an intimate portrait of one of the most revered heroes of Ukraine's fight for independence. The Yanchuk film has been seen at many international film festivals and most recently was presented at the International Film Festival in Montreal.

The Washington premiere was attended by a large number of local area Ukrainian community members. In his introductory remarks, UCCA President Michael Sawkiw Jr. spoke of the horror that had beset America exactly 30 days ago and requested the audience to honor the memory of the victims of the September 11 attacks with a moment of silence.

"Just as America will never forget those innocently murdered in this cowardly act, Ukraine will forever remember those freedom fighters for its independence whom you will see captured on film this evening," Mr. Sawkiw noted.

Mr. Yanchuk thanked the UCCA for its co-sponsorship of the film. "This film would have never been made possible without the financial and consulting support of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. This is the second film that we have cooperated on, and I hope that our cooperation will continue and that we will create more films depicting aspects of Ukrainian history together," said the producer-director.

Members of Ukrainian diplomatic corps present at the premiere included Washington-based Consul General Valentyn Nalyvaychenko; Minister-Council of the Ukrainian Embassy Volodymyr Yatsenkivsky; and a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, William Green Miller.

Mr. Yatsenkivsky thanked Mr. Yanchuk and the UCCA for truthfully depicting the life of Roman Shukhevych and the history of Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He said that the Ukrainian government places high priority on educating the younger generation in Ukraine about the real history of their homeland, correcting all the lies that were introduced during the Communist era and restoring the good name of the famous Ukrainians who died in the name of Ukraine's independence.

After the screening, the consul general once again thanked the creators of the film, which he described as a truthful historical account of the post-World War II period of Ukraine's persistent struggle for freedom, yet a touching and very intimate story of the life and internal struggle of one person. The film, he said, depicted not only the heroic side of Shukhevych's life, but also his personal pain and distress, and the sacrifices he made as a person in order to free the Ukrainian nation from tyranny.

Many audience members - some of whom fought in the UPA - thanked the UCCA and Mr. Yanchuk for the great portrayal of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and its general.

Video copies of the film may be purchased from the UCCA National Office at 203 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003. Please include a check or money order for $35 made out to UCCA and marked "The Undefeated."

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