Premiere of the Danish-Ukrainian music documentary VITA –VOICES OF LIFE AND VICTORY

Thursday 24 October at 16:30 - Palads Cinema in Copenhagen

The musicians' accounts and the composer's messages are reinforced by violent war images from Ukraine. The simple yet strong notes connect the women's stories and become the focal point of the documentary.

The setting of the film is Vemmetofte Monastery - a historic refuge for women in Denmark during 300 years. Here, the women gather to immerse themselves in Vita Poleva's beautiful musical universe, take a break from the war and thank the locals for their hospitality by performing a concert.

The tender and vivid accounts, filmed by the renowned Danish documentarian Torben Skjødt Jensen, cannot leave the viewer without reflections. Ghita Beckendorff's dynamic editing of the film, combined with the sharp black-and-white images of photographer Jan Grarup, shows the contrast between the atrocities of the war in Ukraine and the beauty of the silence in the
Danish province.

What fate awaits the Ukrainian women in exile? What will happen to the lives and careers of composer Victoria Vita Poleva, soprano Mariana Golovko-Danchenko, cellist Zhanna Marchinska and many other performing artists? When will the forced separation from the motherland end? When will this bloody war stop?

The desire to answer these questions has led the Danish concert pianist with Ukrainian roots Elisabeth Holmegaard Nielsen to put her career on hold. Instead, she has dedicated herself to producing the film ‘Vita’ in collaboration with the association Nielsen Saloner, which for many years has supported Ukrainian culture in Denmark.

The film's musicians, producer and director will be at the premiere, which will take place on
Thursday October 24th at 4:30 pm in Palads Movie Theatre, Bio 4, Axeltorv 9, 1609 Copenhagen V.

The premiere is made possible thanks to Nordisk Film Cinemas, The Danish Conductors Association, Ukraine House, Nielsen Saloner and the Ukrainian Embassy in Denmark. Nataliya Popovych, Chair of Ukraine House, will host the event.

Intimate concert with music by Victoria Vita Poleva and artist talk will take place on the following day, Friday October 25th at 5:00 pm in Ukraine House: Gammel Dok, Strandgade 27B, 1401 Copenhagen K.

A big thanks to: Statens Kunstfond, Vemmetofte Klosters Fond, Wistifonden, Kvindernes Bygnings Fond, Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Ege
Fonden, Grete og Sigurd Pedersens Fond, Jorck’s Fond, Hoffmann og Husmans Fond og Dansk Musiker Forbund