Kharkiv:
Capital of Alternative Photography
2024
documentary series for ARTE France, 5x10, 2024, France, Ukraine
In 1960s Soviet Ukraine, the population lives under KGB surveillance and Soviet propaganda. But a small group of young photographers in the second city of Kharkiv want artistic freedom and risk Soviet censors to create a new photographic language.
Episode 1. The Blow Theory (1967–1983): Explores the birth of a nonconformist artistic movement under strict KGB surveillance and Soviet propaganda.
Episode 2. Behind Perestroika (1985–1991): Follows new collectives like the Derzhprom group capturing the irony and final days of the Soviet Union.
Episode 3. Turmoil of Independence (1991–2000): Examines how photographers like Boris Mikhailov reacted to the chaotic birth of the new Ukrainian state.
Episode 4. One Decade, Two Revolutions (2004–2014): Focuses on the social tensions leading up to the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity.
Episode 5. At the Heart of War (2002 Onwards): Shows contemporary photographers caught between finding safety and documenting the destruction of Kharkiv by the Russian military.
