TV Productions

Generation Euromaidan
Sehnsucht nach Demokratie

,,Die Dauer der Beobachtung und die Nähe zu den Porträtierten erlauben eine ungewöhnlich vielschichtige Innensicht der Verstrickungen und des Wandels in der Ukraine.“

– Filmdienst

A documentary by Kristof Gerega
A ThurnFilm & Schuldenberg Films Production

Serhiy Leshchenko, Svitlana Zalishchuk and Mustafa Nayyem have been working for years to strengthen Ukrainian democracy. Before the Maidan revolution, the three friends were active in journalism and civil society. In 2014, they made the decision to enter politics. The documentary "Beyond Revolution" (92 min.) by Kristof Gerega follows the struggle of the three politicians inside and outside the Ukrainian Parliament "Verkhovna Rada". How can corruption be overcome? How can the new generation change the old system from within? Will they found their own party or join an existing one? From close up with the protagonists, the film tells of a path full of obstacles - from disagreements within the clique to Russia's major attack on Ukraine.

Watch now on ZDF-Mediathek .

Hier geht´s zum NEW DOC´S Beitrag

(Online bis 14.11.2023)

Additional information:

Protagonist*innen

Svitlana Zalishchuk
Serhij Leshchenko
Mustafa Nayyem
Written & Directed by
Kristof Gerega
Director of Photography
Anton Yaremchuk
Editor
Barbara Toennieshen BFS
Music
Damian Scholl
Sounddesign & Mix
Danylo Okulov
Executive Producer 
Valentin Thurn
Producer 
Kristof Gerega
Kristina Konrad
Fabian Altenried
Sophie Ahrens
Commissioning editor (ZDF/Das kleine Fernsehspiel)
Christian Cloos
A Thurnfilm & Schuldenberg Films Production
In Co-Production with Weltfilm
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme – MEDIA of the European Union
On behalf of ZDF/Das kleine Fernsehspiel

Synopsis

Essentially, the film examines the political transformation process in Ukraine from the Maidan Revolution to the present day. We follow three key actors in this process and learn about the obstacles and dangers a post-Soviet state has to contend with on its way to democracy. Who are the people working for Ukraine's political development? What is their motivation? How do they go about it? What are their goals? How has their work changed them? What has happened politically and socially in Ukraine since the Maidan Revolution? What was built in nine years until it was destroyed by Russia? What role do the West and the EU play in this from the Ukrainians' perspective? Would the catastrophe have been avoidable? "Generation Euromaidan - Longing for Democracy" is not a portrait of the three protagonists, but a film that observes, but also asks questions and questions answers - those of the protagonists about their political values and convictions, but also those of the filmmaker himself and his Western attitude towards Ukraine. A democracy is a fragile system that is very vulnerable to attack from within and without and therefore needs to be protected. According to Svitlana Salishchuk, it is not perfect, but it is the best form of government we have. In "Generation Euromaidan - Longing for Democracy", we learn how difficult it is to defend it. The story of our three protagonists is sad proof of the discrepancy between the claim and reality of the self-confidently formulated catalog of values of the West. It shows us that our values are reflected above all in the way we treat others, those who do not belong to us but feel friendly with us. In this sense, this film also holds up a mirror to us and must shake us up deeply.