We have many reasons to be proud. Despite all challenges, 2024 was a year of rapid development for our community. The network has not only grown, but also inspired thousands of people for important reflections and changes for the better. We have brought together 503 film clubs from all over Ukraine; this year alone, 281 of them registered and started working! Therefore, more people will become aware of their rights and the need to protect them with the help of documentary films. We are delighted that our idea resonates in the hearts of people, uniting and rallying them around human rights values, because documentaries make legal issues more accessible and understandable.
Growing together
This year, 31,692 viewers attended our film club screenings! Our moderators organized 2,255 events for them. Behind these final figures are people who come to watch, discuss and share their impressions of films. They are interested in meeting at film clubs, discussing, finding like-minded people, uniting and supporting each other, generating new ideas and initiatives and implementing them together. For many of the film clubs, documentary films have become a catalyst for change in communities and have inspired people to take action.
Advocacy that makes a difference
In 2024, the Network's film clubs implemented 15 advocacy campaigns that led to systemic changes in communities. They addressed important and sensitive issues: employment and psychological assistance for internally displaced persons, psychosocial support for children and socio-cultural adaptation of juvenile probation clients, media literacy for senior citizens and the introduction of an easy-to-read format, environmental problems in communities, and protection of cultural heritage.
Importantly, these and other activities of the film clubs have not gone unnoticed: this year, we reached 3.5 million readers of our media publications! This is a new level of influence and visibility for us.
Films that change the perspective
This year, the Network's film collection has also grown. It now includes 140 human rights documentaries that not only inform viewers but also encourage them to think and act. The films in our collection cover crucial issues: human dignity and human rights, volunteering and civic activism, countering armed aggression, helping refugees and internally displaced persons, freedom of speech and combating disinformation, environmental crises and war crimes, forced and labor migration, and others. Each film is an opportunity to open a new perspective on the reality that surrounds us.
What should we expect from 2025?
Of course, further development is inevitable, because such an incredible community of active and caring people is able to move mountains and reach the highest peaks.
Next year, we will work hard to implement an information campaign to protect children from sexual abuse online. We plan on supporting film clubs in implementing new advocacy campaigns. We will develop film club activities at probation facilities and penitentiary institutions. We hope to engage even more educational institutions into the School DOCU/WEEK and introduce documentary film clubs and elective subjects at schools. We will offer much more online training and offline meetings at the School and the Conference for moderators, which is so important today. There will definitely be a new mentoring program. And this is just the beginning of our dreams and plans that we intend to realize together with you.
The DOCU/CLUB Network team is immensely grateful to each and every moderator for your important work and tireless efforts to better your communities, and thus our entire country. We are proud and honored with an opportunity to work with you.
For the New Year, we sincerely wish you strength to endure and inspiration to fight, light in your hearts and homes, safety for you and your families, and a happy return home for our defenders. May 2025 bring us the Victory we yearn and desire!
The development of the DOCU/CLUB Network is funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Fondation de France.
The opinions, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and compilers of this publication and do not necessarily reflect the views of the governments or charitable organizations of these countries. The authors and compilers are solely responsible for the content of this publication.
