MYTH- a Benefit Film Screening for Ukrainian Refugees

This benefit film screening and discussion event is the brainchild of new Cobourg resident Christina Pochmursky. Christina Pochmursky was born in a refugee camp in Germany in 1947 and immigrated with her parents to Ontario as an infant. When she retired to Cobourg early in the pandemic she had earned career success as a broadcast journalist with CBC and Global News and as a documentary filmmaker with numerous films to her credit. All the while, she retained her Ukrainian language fluency and cultural connection. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of this year, provoking a wave of more than seven million international Ukrainian refugees, Christina connected with Northumberland for Ukraine Families (N4UF) to help with the settlement and support of the Ukrainian families that have been sponsored to our region. All revenue from this Benefit will go to N4UF.

This fundraiser benefit is Christina's initiative to raise necessary funds to help with food, shelter and other necessities required to help settle area refugees.. She picked an inspiring and award-winning Ukrainian film, MYTH, as the catalyst and centrepiece for an informative evening that will help us understand, a little better, the psyche of the brave and beleaguered citizens of war-torn Ukraine. She phoned Orest Slipak, brother of the film's protagonist Vasily Slipak, in Kyiv, and speaking Ukrainian, secured the rights to show the film tonight (English-language version). Prior to this call the film had been pulled from distribution. Christina also recruited celebrated war correspondent, Hilary Brown, to participate in the post-film discussion about war and its psychological and cultural consequences. MYTH, describes the ascent to international operatic stardom of Ukrainian singing phenomenon Vasily Slipak. He reached the pinnacle of Paris opera, featured in the best roles and took his nom de guerre from Faust's Mephistopheles, abbreviated as MYTH. Slipak was a performance artist, and he lived his celebrated life with high drama. When his homeland was invaded in 2014 (the Donbas Luhansk war that resulted in Russia's annexation of Crimea) Slipak responded as a patriot. He left the operatic stage with dramatic flair and joined a joined a volunteer fighting unit in Crimea. His combat exploits were highly publicized in Paris and Kyiv and he gave his life like a gift, withholding nothing. (WW1 patriot poem This was my brother.) Slipak received a massive state funeral and the way he died became a lightning rod for recruitment and patriotic fervor in his homeland. Vasily Slipak ran toward the danger.

Tickets are $50 (plus hst and service fee) and are available online or at the Concert Hall Box Office 855-372-2210.

*Admission will include a tax receipt and a free drink at the bar.