Babushkas of Chernobyl (10/2)
Join us for a screening of The Babushkas of Chernobyl (2015) and in-person Q&A with director Holly Morris, in conversation with Prof. Tatyana Bronstein, Department of Film & Television, followed by a first look at a 2023 follow-up film.
In the radioactive Dead Zone surrounding Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4, a defiant community of women scratches out an existence on some of the most toxic land on Earth. They share this hauntingly beautiful but lethal landscape with an assortment of visitors – scientists, soldiers, and even ‘stalkers’ – young thrill-seekers who sneak in to pursue post-apocalyptic video game-inspired fantasies. Why the women chose to return after the disaster – defying the authorities and endangering their health – is a remarkable tale about the pull of home, the healing power of shaping one’s destiny, and the subjective nature of risk.
Having survived Nazi occupation and fallout from the Chernobyl accident, the remarkable heroines of this film once again found themselves caught up in the crosshairs of history after Russian soldiers occupied Chernobyl on February 24, 2022. We are honored to share a first look of a follow-up film shot with the “Babushkas” after Russian troops withdrew from Chernobyl in April 2022.
Co-sponsored by The Center for the Study of Europe and BU Global House
Time: Monday, October 2nd, 4:30-7:00 pm
Location: COM B05, 640 Commonwealth Avenue