beyond

Teen Angst

What does it feel like to grow up in times of war? In a documentary film they developed themselves, nine young Ukrainian women provide a unique insight into their lives - into everyday life in a state of emergency.  

As a documentary film project, nine young Ukrainians tell their story in "Teen Angst". The young women, some of whom have fled to other countries and some of whom live in Ukraine, become co-authors of their own lives: how much is left for oneself when fear for family and fellow human beings, when death, separation and trauma are omnipresent? The first preview took part in Berlin, the second preview followed in July at Kaņepes Kultūras centrs in Riga, Latvia.  

Deutschlandfunk Kultur reports on the project and the preview of the documentary film in Berlin: listen in! (in german)

voices of participants

"My journey ended in Berlin, but nevertheless, these five days became a whole little life, filled with an incredible amount of memories and emotions. (...) This project gave me the opportunity to open up and tell my story." (Ksenia Iljina)

"Above all, I am grateful for the atmosphere in which we could communicate so pleasantly and openly." (Anna Smirnova)

"The organizers gave me the opportunity to be heard by others, they gave me the means to shape my part of the film; thanks to their work, I met wonderful girls (...) I also saw how differently the war affects us, what emotions we are forced to experience, and how difficult, yet sometimes important, it is to share what troubles us." (Kamila Karpenko)

"(...) I can already say that it has helped me understand myself better and, I believe, also the world around me a little better. And that is very important to me right now, to understand who I am and where I should go next." (Oleksandra Luchaieva - Alexa)

"When we started the online meetings, I was thrilled to be able to communicate with super cool women at least once a week and build something together with them. Of course, there were also challenges, like the absolute confusion about what to film or write, but that's completely natural, and in the end, you realize that this confusion was an integral part of the process." (Yelyzaveta Chornomorets)

"(...) I know that something has definitely changed in me. The only thing I have clearly understood so far is that I don't have to reach out for creativity and search for it in the world because it is already within me." (Yelyzaveta Chornomorets) 

background

The "Teen Angst" project, which is being implemented by three organisations (TU Mariupol/Ukraine, Kaņepes Kultūras centrs/Latvia, bridgeworks/Germany), aims to address the complex emotions of Ukrainian young people both in Ukraine and in the diaspora: "Teen Angst" attempts to offer psychotherapeutic and creative support for life in a new context, in a new environment or culture in order to strengthen the expression and resilience of the participants.

The project focuses on shared experiences and challenges that are channelled into artistic forms of expression: The first phase comprises a digital three-month course stay for 10 young people accompanied by director Inga Pylypchuk. The second phase will take the participants to Berlin and Riga for the film preview and a week-long art lab with workshops.

inga pylypchuk

Inga Pylypchuk, born in Kyiv, Ukraine, lives and works as a documentary filmmaker and journalist in Berlin. She studied German and Modern Greek in Kyiv and Comparative Literature, Journalism and Documentary Film in Berlin. As a teenager, she obsessively wrote diaries, which allowed her to remember herself quite well in the ages between 16 and 20. Thanks to this passion, she also ended up writing articles for German media, often about her personal perspectives.

She also makes films about herself and the world she lives in, like her recent work “How Far Is Close”, which tells the story of her relationship with her mom, who had to move from Kyiv to Berlin due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Inga has experience in leading workshops for young people on autobiographical writing and filmmaking, including projects of the Goethe Institute and the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin.

"Teen Angst" is funded by Culture Helps / Культура допомагає, the Global Fund for Children, Bezirksamt Neukölln and the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk. 

“Culture Helps / Культура допомагає” is a project co-funded by the European Union under adedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors. The project is a cooperation between Insha Osvita (UA) and zusa (DE).

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.