Oleksandra Diachenko is a volunteer who makes film festivals possible even under the conditions of war. Amid explosions, cold, and the absence of electricity, she, like the Lumière brothers, lights the way forward for Ukrainian culture — and cinema in particular — with her faith and enthusiasm. 

Of course, like every Ukrainian, Oleksandra has her own story connected with the war. It includes hitchhiking to western Ukraine in February 2022 with cats in her arms and spending the night at a gas station. It includes explosions visible from the window and a damaged apartment she had to leave. And responsibility for a building hit by an enemy shell, because she is the head of the homeowners’ association.