Bear Witness
Apr 30, 2023
“Back to Bucha,” a Bear Witness Executive Produced documentary, had its premiere in Boston on April 30th.
While BW continues to support the production of a documentary featuring last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk and her Center for Civil Liberties, we are also supporting other media content that keeps the Western world supporting Ukraine.
Steve Richards, “Back to Bucha’s” Director, is a Florida-based American who’s primary target audience with this film is the southern Bible belt, mega churches, and political Independents to help counter religious themed Russian propaganda and make Ukrainians relatable to everyday people. I met Steve last year at a showing of his first Ukraine related documentary, "Trek to Bucha." In this film, he was able to capture the recognizable humanity of Ukrainians in the immediate aftermath of the withdrawal of Russian forces from Bucha and Irpin, when the world was being introduced to the unimaginable atrocities committed there.
"Back to Bucha" was filmed a year later - the war is ongoing but the spirit of Ukraine and Ukrainians' hunger for self-determination and freedom has grown. Steve's film is a snapshot of Ukraine's resilience at the most human level: lives, livelihoods, and homes being rebuilt, religious faiths of all types being tested and strengthened, families, including with children, adjusting to the new, at times horrific, "normal." Bear Witness is proud to help introduce the film's central characters, real life freedom-fighters of Ukraine, to Americans and the West, to give them the spotlight they need to show why their fight is so important to the US and the rest of the world.
Follow this link to see the full film: https://vimeo.com/822365160