UFFB 2026: APRÈS ARBEIT X UKRAINE KNOWN UNKNOWN: BEYOND HER LENS

The fourth salon event of Ukrainian Institute is dedicated to the work of Sofia Yablonska, a Ukrainian writer, photographer, and traveller. In the 1930s, Yablonska travelled through Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania, French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia, working as a documentarian. Her archive contains a small yet remarkable collection of images: over 2,000 negatives and up to four hours of newsreel footage. During the evening, Veronika Homenyk will present rare footage from Yablonska's films and speak about the themes she captured during her travels. She will also discuss the journey of the films themselves, explaining how they survived and travelled through time to reach us today. The discussion will be moderated by Dr Kateryna Rietz-Rakul, Director of the Ukrainian Institute in Germany. There will also be a merchandise stand selling books by Sofia Yablonska and other items at the event. About the speaker: Veronika Homenyk is the head of the Sofia Yablonska Foundation, an organisation that works to preserve, research and promote the legacy of Sofia Yablonska. She has been researching Yablonska’s life, work and multifaceted heritage for over ten years. About the organisers: 'Après Arbeit. Meet, Greet and Talk Ukraine' is an event series organised by the Ukrainian Institute in Germany and financially supported by the Federal Foreign Office. The fourth salon event is being co-organised with the 'Ukraine Known Unknown' project of the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin (UFFB) and the Sofia Yablonska Foundation.