Three Stories of Galicia Premieres in the U.S. in May. Washington, D.C., Bethesda and Baltimore, MD

WASHINGTON, April 20 - The feature documentary Three Stories of Galicia, produced by two local filmmakers, will be shown in the U.S. for the first time in May, premiering in the D.C.-Baltimore area with three special showings at Landmark Theaters on May 10^th, 11^th and 12^th.

The film offers a unique glimpse into the events that took place during and after World War II in the Eastern European region of Galicia. It pays tribute to the unknown heroes of that war, the regular people who rose above fear and prejudice to do what was right instead of what was easy: a Jewish family that chose to save its worst enemy; a Ukrainian woman who endured the theft of her children to save her country; and a Polish priest who risked everything to end the sectarian hatred that tore at his parish.

Filmmakers Olha Onyshko of Bethesda, a native of Lviv, Ukraine, and Sarah Farhat of D.C., a native of Beirut, Lebanon, traveled throughout Western Ukraine and Eastern Poland over a period of four years.  In this region shrouded by speculation and controversy due to its untold history, they discovered an amazing wealth of stories that had been hidden from not only the West, but also from families. Recording the survivors’ memories became a race against time as many of them were already in their late 80s or older.

That’s how the stories of a Jew, a Ukrainian and a Pole, that were repressed for so many years by the Soviet Union, were able to be told side by side, for the very first time.

Three Stories of Galicia has been shown with great success at the Cannes Film Market, Hamburg Film Festival, and theaters in Lviv, Kyiv and Ottawa. Another achievement was the film’s translation into Ukrainian and its narration by the famous Ukrainian actress Ada Rogovceva. New screenings in the U.S., Canada, Poland and Ukraine at festivals and select theaters are planned in collaboration with special interest groups, organizations and individuals, followed by discussion. Filmmakers Onyshko and Farhat hope that the film can foster a much-needed dialogue among communities that were subjected to the impact of the wartime period and still bear its consequences to this day.

The D.C.-Baltimore screenings:
-May 10, 2011 at 7pm: Landmark E-Street (555 11th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004)
-May 11, 2011 at 7pm: Landmark Harbor East (645 S. President Street, Baltimore, MD 21202)
-May 12, 2011 at 7pm: Landmark Bethesda Row (7235 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814-2951)

The filmmakers will be present at all three screenings to lead a post-screening Q&A.

For more information about the film, please visit www.threestoriesofgalicia.com. For ticket information and to purchase advance passes, please visit: www.threestoriesofgalicia.com/find-a-screening