Eyes on Ukraine

Synopsis

This 35-minute film follows 24-year-old Yana Panfilova, a Ukrainian HIV-positive activist living in Berlin. Born with the virus and exiled from her home in Kyiv because of the war with Russia, she continues to run Teenergizer, a large youth organization which supports young people in Ukraine who face challenges around HIV and mental health. To shed light on the growing HIV crisis and stigma associated with the virus in her country, Yana works with veteran photographer Gideon Mendel who, after decades chronicling the epidemic, has decided to hand over the camera to HIV-positive people, turning subjects into creators. After Gideon trains Yana to use photography as a tool to tell her story, she sets out to share moments of her life. Her effort becomes pivotal as she inspires three young people living with HIV from Ukraine to join forces. After completing their own photographic training in Berlin, Liza, Mariia and Yehor return to Ukraine to shed light on a unique crisis during a difficult time in history. 

• Running Time: 35:07

• Executive Producer: Richard Gere

• Directed by: Mo Stoebe

• Producers: David Gere and Katja Kulenkampff

• Featuring: Yana Panfilova, Liza Shevchuck, Yehor Pasko, Mariia Deriuha

Watch Parties

The UCLA Art & Global Health Center and UNAIDS invite people to join the global preview of Eyes on Ukraine. "Watch parties" have already been scheduled to take place at global venues, including at Harvard and Cornell universities, Noaks Ark Stockholm, two sites in Taiwan, and the UN campus in Bonn, Germany, in commemoration of World AIDS Day 2024.

The film comes with a discussion guide, a resource designed to foster meaningful dialogue and inspire action. The guide provides everything needed to host an engaging watch party, including discussion questions and suggested actions for further involvement. For more information, please email TPE@arts.ucla.edu.