Following Valeria

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Book Tickets
After the Russian invasion, a young Ukrainian woman becomes an accidental TikTok star when sharing her funny takes on an awful situation.

In March 2022, as Russian troops invade Ukraine and head for the capital Kyiv, 20-year-old Valeria posts accounts of life with her family in a bomb shelter to TikTok. Trying to stay positive in an otherwise hopeless situation, her ironic missives from the bunker go viral and she becomes an unexpected ambassador for those terrorised and displaced by the war. Caught between the experience and image of both a refugee and an internet celebrity, her support is matched by harsh online criticism and confrontation.

 

This film will screen as part of the programme Shorts: (Re)building Worlds.

Book tickets

Shorts: (Re)building Worlds + Q&A
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Showroom - Channel 5 Screen 2
Q&A with directors Pien van Grinsven, Nicola Fegg, and protagonist Valeriia Shashenok. Moderated by Jamie Allan.
Shorts: (Re)building Worlds + Q&A
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Curzon - Screen 1
Q&A with directors Pien van Grinsven, Nicola Fegg, and protagonist Valeriia Shashenok. Moderated by Rachel Pronger.

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