'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 56.

The time has come to attend my first Ukrainian-Canadian event. This presented a problem. Unlike all the other events I’ve been to, based on my brother’s recommendation, I’d have to be in the same room with a bunch of people in a community that is not exactly known to be broad-minded.

It was not as horrible as it seemed however. Anyways, the event itself was nothing extravagant, but nonetheless it wasn’t small or intimate. When the event started, there was a lot of, and I mean a lot, of people. So I needed to keep my wits about me and be able to navigate my way through the room since not a single person from the community spoke a single word of English.

The event itself was a special screening of the film Cyborgs: Heroes Never Die (or in Ukrainian: Кiборги: Герої не вмирають). The film depicts the wartime lives of five Ukrainian brothers in arms fighting for control of Donetsk International Airport during the War in Donbass. The five men represent various social strata, professions, and beliefs for which they are willing to kill and prepared to die for. The event saw Akhtem Seitablayev (the director), Ivanna Dadyura (the producer), Yuriy Korol (the cinematographer), as well as the head of The Odesa International Film Festival. So we all then entered the theater to find our seats and just enjoyed the show as the lights dimmed.

Then I made my way out as the Q&A commenced as it was all in Ukrainian, thus I couldn’t understand a single thing that was being asked and said. This was all made worse due to the fact that there was no translator present and since I was the only non-Ukrainian present. The event, or any other event, really needs to take in mind that there might be non-Ukrainians attending. The non-Ukrainians also might want to attend events such as this one, and might want to know what’s going on.

I left the event feeling more out of place than I usually do in my life. It was one of the most isolating moments of my life, and I don’t think I want to go through something like that again. It wasn’t the best interaction with the Ukrainian-Canadian community s far, all because I thought they were going to be more receptive towards someone like me there. But then again, baby steps, one step at a time. We’ll see about the next one.

Also, see Chapters 55 and 57.