Exactly ten years ago, Ukrainians protested on the Maidan in Kiev against the pro-Russian government and for their European future. Around 100 people died back then because they defended the values of freedom and democracy. Now the American director Damian Kolodiy has shown his award-winning documentary “Freedom or Death” in Munich. The film highlights the demonstrations and their influence on Ukrainian society. It was shown at the Ukrainian Free University, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the Thomas Dehler Foundation.
But first a few words about the filmmaker: Damian Kolodiy was born in New York, his parents are Ukrainians. After the Second World War, they initially lived as political refugees in a refugee camp in Germany before emigrating to the United States. As a freelance videographer, Damian visited Ukraine during the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013 and 2014.
The title of the film “Freedom or Death” underlines how important freedom was and is for Ukrainians. He draws a parallel with the French Revolution of 1793/94 and the German Revolution of 1848/1849, which is intended to prove that Ukraine’s fight for democracy and independence has European roots.
The Maidan protests began in November 2013 after the government refused to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union. The demonstrators were subjected to excessive violence by law enforcement for months. In the end, however, they achieved the removal of Russian-controlled President Viktor Yanukovych. But this began a new tragedy: Vladimir Putin, who saw his influence in Ukraine dwindling, annexed Crimea and the war against Ukraine had begun.
I experienced all of this first hand. I lived in Kiev ten years ago and I remember these tragic events very well. We all wanted to become a real part of Europe. For people who didn’t experience it, Damian Kolodiy’s film explains who, how and what fought on the Maidan and why it is still important to remember it today.
Kolodiy shows young and old people, students, doctors, entrepreneurs and pensioners who have risked their lives for months for their future and the future of their children. He brought new life to the message of the people of the Maidan: “We understand that things will be very difficult in the future. And yet we are defending our values here.” Damian Kolodiy says: “It is even more important today to understand the background of this process, because the stakes are even higher than then.”
Many people cried after the film preview. A German who attended the event with us said: “In Europe we have already forgotten what it is like to risk your life for freedom.” The film will be released on YouTube on February 20th.
Emiliia Dieniezhna, 35, fled from Kiev with her then four-year-old daughter Ewa Pullach near Munich. She works on a voluntary basis for the non-governmental organization NAKO, whose goal is to fight corruption in Ukraine. She also teaches German to Ukrainian refugee children. She writes a weekly column for the SZ about her view of events in her home country from Munich.