Big Water at DocUNight

In collaboration with Ukraine House and as a part of our launch conference Narrating Global Conflict, HUM:Global brought the Ukrainian documentary film “Big Water” to UN City’s DocUNight.

About the film

The documentary film Big Water spotlights the tireless efforts of the Environmental State Service representatives in Ukraine in documenting the aftermath of the Kakhovka dam explosion and the gathering of evidence of this war crime. It follows several key figures who retrieve bodies of the dead from the floodwaters, sail through dangerous water to collect potentially poisonous water samples, and ensure that residents have access to drinking water. The documentary delves into the personal and professional struggles of those who are not only tasked with uncovering the truth but are also victims of the disaster themselves.

About the debate

The docUNight debate took its point of departure in the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and the personal stories featured in the film in order to tease out the tangible complex realities on the ground. Together, the conversation with the film-makers, Anna Tsyhyma (Director and Cinematographer) and Ghanna Mamonova (Journalist and Media Manager), and the panel discussion with topic experts Tim Lardner (Director, Europe and Central Asia Region, UNOPS), Dr Flemming Splidsboel Hansen (Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies) and Nataliya Popovych (Co-founder and Chairperson, Ukraine House in Denmark), provided the audience with insight into the situation in Ukraine while spotlighting the human experience(s) of being in and operating in a conflict zone as well as highlighting the role of narratives in shaping public perceptions, policy-making, and development work.