This week marks a year since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Lilah speaks with Ukrainian director Nadia Parfan, whose documentary short 'I did not want to make a war film' is a first-person essay about how life has changed. Nadia was in Egypt when the war began, but a few weeks later, she chose to return to Ukraine because she feared isolation more than physical danger. She joins us from a coffee shop in Kyiv to talk about making the film, what life is like in Ukraine for civilians, and why making art can be a form of resistance.
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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.
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Links and mentions from the episode:
– Nadia Parfan’s film ‘I Did Not Want To Make A War Film’ is available now. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx9yrdjPKQ4
– FT Magazine cover, ‘A 12 year journey into Ukraine’ by Christopher Miller: https://www.ft.com/content/f1983056-c34f-4646-946a-6328200d65e7
– A year in review: ‘How Putin blundered into Ukraine – and doubled down:’ https://www.ft.com/content/80002564-33e8-48fb-b734-44810afb7a49
– Mary Elise Sarotte on Putin’s misuse of history: https://www.ft.com/content/24f81b4d-420e-4217-b498-cf13c6e254f2
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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.