Oh, Sister! Documentary

About the film

Oh, Sister! shows the central role women play in facing the challenges of war, keeping life going, and fighting for peace, justice and equality. It features stories of the following women: 

• Oleksandra Matviychuk – human rights lawyer, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2022. 
• Alla Melnychuk - Head of Mother and Newborn, a charitable organization helping to save lives of infants with severe health issues.   
• Tata Kepler - a medical supplies volunteer, Head of Ptakhy Foundation providing tactical medical supplies on an industrial scale.  
• Natalia Kudrych and Nadia Zhmykovska – train conductors for Ukrainian Railways.
• Lastivka - a medical platoon leader on the front lines. 

The film was commissioned by the Nobel Women's Initiative in partnership with United for Ukraine, following the journey of three female Nobel Peace Prize laureates - Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, Jody Williams of USA, and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia - to Krakow, Poland, and Lviv, Ukraine in June 2022. A full report of the trip is available here. Oh, Sister! was supported by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Brian Kelly, Gbowee Peace Foundation, Tawakkol Karman Foundation and others.  

The film was produced by Ukrainian production company 23/32 Films, and directed by Hanna Kapylova. It was released to the public on 16 December 2022. 

Resources

Oh, Sister! sheds light on women's stories and spotlights how Ukrainian women are working to safeguard fundamental human rights in the face of war. Generating support for women-led organisations in Ukraine, and continuing to put pressure on the international community to ensure an end to war, and the inclusion of women at all levels of decision making now, and in the eventual recovery and rebuilding process, is more important than ever. 

Support these aims by sharing the film with your network, or hosting a screening!

The below resources are available for use: 

• Trailer. A short visual introduction to the film.  
• Screening and sharing resources, including:
  • Screening Toolkit. This guide provides background information on the film, the context it was made in, discussion points, calls to action and other tools which can support efforts to host a screening. 
  • Social Media Graphics with quotes from heroines featured in the film.  

For any enquiries about the film, including screenings, contact [email protected] 

Upcoming screenings

• 19 May, 2023. Bucha, Ukraine. "Oh, Sister!" will be shown at the Bucha Journalism Conference.

Past screenings

• 6 April, 2023. Belfast, Northern Ireland. "Oh, Sister!" was screened by by the PILS Project at an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. 
• 29 March, 2023. Riga, Latvia. "Oh, Sister!" was be screened at a public screening organized together with Women's Resource Centre "Marta" at Tallinas Kvartāla Angārs. 
• 8 March, 2023. Berlin, Germany. "Oh, Sister!" will be screened at the Berlin Human Rights Film Festival monthly screening, marking International Women's Day. 
• 1 March, 2023. Chisinau, Moldova. A public screening of "Oh, Sister!" was held at Europa Cafe.
• 24 February, 2023. Strasbourg, France. "Oh, Sister!" was screened in a closed meeting of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, as part of their events marking the one year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. 
• 24 February, 2023. Chisinau, Moldova. The Mission of the EU to Moldova hosted a screening of "Oh, Sister!" to mark the grim one year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. Opening remarks were made by NWI's Oh Sister Coordinator Justine Elferte. 
• 23 February, 2023. Chisinau, Moldova. A private screening was held by Dace Mažeika, wife of EU ambassador to Moldova, for spouses in the diplomatic corps in Moldova. Opening remarks were made by NWI's Oh Sister Coordinator Justine Elferte. 
• 23 February, 2023. Geneva, Switzerland. The Mission of the USA and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine in Geneva hosted a screening of "Oh, Sister!" as part of their event marking the one year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. Opening remarks were made by NWI's Executive Director Maria Butler. 
• 29 January, 2023. Kristiansand, Norway. ARKIVET Peace and Human Rights Center hosted a screening and panel discussion with Head of Media and Communications Daina Ruduša.
• 27 January, 2023. Kristiansand, Norway. Kristiansand International School hosted a screening and a talk with Head of Media and Communications Daina Ruduša.
• 24 January, 2022. Oslo, Norway. The Nobel Peace Center hosted a screening in Oslo as part of their Nobel Peace Talks. The event featured a discussion with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams. Opening remarks were made by NWI's Executive Director Maria Butler. Missed the event? Listen to the podcast!
• 16 December, 2022. Berlin, Germany. Berlin Staatsoper hosted a screening and panel discussion featuring Director Hanna Kapylova, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv's Director Oleksandra Matviichuk, and others.
• 15 December, 2022. Brussels, Bergium. House of European History and the Irish Mission to the EU hosted a screening and panel discussion with Founder of United for Ukraine Olga Hamama, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv's Director Oleksandra Matviichuk in Brussels.
• 17 September, 2022. New York, USA. Neuhaus hosted the first ever screening of "Oh, Sister!" on the margins of the UN General Assembly. The panel discussion featured Nobel Peace Prize laureates Jody Williams, Tawakkol Karman and Leymah Gbowee, as well as film director Hanna Kapylova.