Women born in the Soviet Union were forged in a culture that had officially proclaimed women equal to men. They were told they could achieve it all, but at what cost - and what was the reality?
Pushkin House is proud to present WOMEN’S DAY, a documentary film by Dolya Gavanski that includes personal testimonies by extraordinary women born in the Soviet Union. Intimate, yet epic in its scale, researched in-depth and filmed over two years - this is the untold history of women in Russia. The Nobel Laureate, the ‘Voice of the USSR’, the beauty blogger, the cyber security boss, veterans of Stalingrad and the Leningrad Siege, the exiled feminist, the Tractorist Heroine and many more.
After the screening, Dolya Gavanski will be in conversation with journalist Lucy Ash.
A truthful and vibrant take on the past - and the future’ - Time Out - top 9 films at the Moscow International Film Festival
“An important documentary, impeccably researched…” Hello Magazine
“This wonderful film opens up a window into a world we know little about, only through some features in newspapers or cliches in naive Western films.” Aljazeera
“The director’s ‘outsider eye’ reveals Russia more powerfully than we do ourselves….No script writer could ever invent these stories” Mospravda
Awards:
Best Documentary Debut, Golden Ryton Festival, Bulgarian Film Centre
Best Film (Main Award) Dock International Documentary Historical Film Festival Burgas
Critics Award, ‘Euroasian Bridge’, Yalta international Film Festival,
Best Film (Main Award), Russia Abroad Film Festival
Semi-finalist, Golden Kapok Award Competition, Gzdonsk Festival. China
Special award ‘Bitter Glass’ University of Sofia, Faculty of Journalism, International Film Festival 'Love is Folly’
Ticket options: choose from in person or online ‘on demand’ tickets
IN PERSON Monday, 28 June, 7pm BST
In-person screening and Q&A at Pushkin House. Limited to 25 tickets at £10/£7/£5.
THIS OPTION IS NOW SOLD OUT
ONLINE, ON DEMAND Weekend 2-4 July
After booking you will have 72 hours on demand access from Friday 2 July to Sunday 4 July to watch the documentary film and a recording of the live Q&A with Dolya Gavanski and Lucy Ash. Unlimited tickets at £5/£3.
Brought up in several countries, Dolya Gavanski studied acting in Moscow and London, and is a graduate of Cambridge University. She also gained a PhD in Russian Theatre at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Her recent credits include directing, writing and producing Women’s Day and co-writing and producing 18% Grey by Viktor Chouchkov.
Some of the acclaimed directors she has worked with as an actress are Michael Winterbottom, Angelina Jolie and Sir Trevor Nunn. She has extensive experience in film, TV, radio and theatre, ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary works, and has written drama for film and BBC Radio. Dolya is also the voice of the ‘strongest woman in the world’, Zarya who is from Russia, in a globally successful computer game, Overwatch.
Photograph: Ivan Weiss
Lucy Ash is an award winning presenter of radio and TV documentaries. Driven by a passion for justice and human rights, she focuses on characters at the margins of society and conflicts which have dropped out of the headlines. Although she mostly does current affairs, she is also fascinated by the way stories from the past century inform the present like the great mystery of the Dyatlov Pass, The Night Witches, the world’s first female fighter pilots, and Operation Pedro Pan, about the mass exodus of children from Castro’s Cuba. She presents programmes on international theatre, film and visual arts. She speaks fluent French, Russian and she is a trustee of Jerwood Arts. Lucy’s work has been described as “unforgettable” and “taken from journalism’s top drawer”. She has won the Sony Gold, Amnesty International, the One World Radio Documentary Award, New York Festivals Radio Award and Radio Story of the Year award from the Foreign Press Association.