Creative documentaries and films about art within the International Human Rights Film Festival Docudays UA

Abstract

The documentary films presented at the Docudays UA film festival, which took place on March 26 — April 4, 2021, are analyzed with the question — what is the role of art in the age of the coronavirus crisis and worsening of social inequalities? The aim of the article is to research the documentaries in various programs of the film festival to include them into the national art discourse to explore the role of art in the life of modern individuals and society as a whole. Philosophical ideas that help to understand the urgency of changes that resonate with nowadays challenges are considered in the films «Taming the Garden», «Becoming Animal» and «Ivan's Land». The films that prepare humanity for a turn in the comprehension of the Universe — the understanding of space-time relations, nature and civilization, network capitalism and the noosphere — are analyzed. The films of the DOCU/ART program are explored: «The Last Archer», «The Filmmaker's House», «Forensickness» and «Watching the Pain of Others». It is noted that the films «Forensickness» and «Watching the Pain of Others» research online culture and the uncertain boundary between truth and simulacrum, between document and fake; «Riders Not Heroes» resort to social criticism of precarious working conditions, platform capitalism, gig labour, the refugee crises and COVID-19; «Swatted» and «There Will Be No More Night» explore the violence through technology, and «Vivos» and «This Rain Will Never Stop» the violence of crime and war. It is determined that artistic pursuits drift from the use of traditional media and the search for form to the study of the interaction of society and technology. It is stated that culture forms identity, serves as a vaccine against totalitarianism, intolerance, violence, develops collective immunity against human rights violations, builds bridges and promotes understanding and communication. The prospect for Docudays UA Film Festival is also determined to be the object for further research and exploration of its programs, strategies and meanings, which it offers to Ukraine and to the world.