Over the weekend, Zurich and Basel became focal points for Ukrainian cultural content in Europe, hosting Ukrainian-language screenings of the animated feature film Mavka: The Forest Song.
The event transcended the boundaries of a traditional movie screening, becoming integrated into the broader context of cultural diplomacy. It signaled a transition for Ukrainian cinema into a new phase of development: moving from a local cultural product to a full-fledged participant in the European creative market.
The demonstration of the film in Ukrainian with German subtitles in Switzerland served as a landmark case for the transformation of how Ukrainian culture is perceived. It represents the establishment of a stable presence and the gradual institutionalization of Ukrainian cultural content within the international environment.
Mavka functions as a multifaceted instrument of impact: simultaneously a commercially competitive animation product, a carrier of cultural code, and an element of Ukraine’s soft power. Through its visual language and symbolic structure, the film shapes a narrative of modern Ukrainian identity that is accessible and clear to an international audience.
The screenings were held as part of the uafilm.ch project, founded by Viktoriia Viktorova. This highlights the vital role of independent initiatives in expanding the international presence of Ukrainian cinema and building a sustainable infrastructure for cultural exchange.
Among the invited guests was public figure Olesia Tarasenko — founder and president of the Swiss-Ukrainian Association VIDNOVA and director of the Business Woman Magazine representative office in Switzerland. Her work systematically focuses on developing cultural diplomacy, advancing media projects, and international partnerships, particularly in promoting Ukrainian initiatives throughout Europe.
Such events do more than just create a cultural moment; they build a long-term ecosystem of trust, recognition, and dialogue. This represents a strategic level of engagement where culture serves as a primary tool for international communication and national positioning.
Additional screenings held during the same period confirm a consistent demand for Ukrainian-language content, revealing significant potential for scaling similar formats across Switzerland and other European markets.
In summary, the case of Mavka in Switzerland demonstrates not only the success of a single cultural product but the formation of Ukraine’s systemic cultural capital in a global context. It stands as one of the strongest examples of cultural integration within a local international market.
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Photo: Olesia Tarasenko