Back to Bucha - Miami-Dade Premiere

Ukraine’s Sprit On Full Display March 9thI am very pleased to announce the premiere screening of Back to Bucha in my hometown of Kendall, FL, just southwest of Miami proper. Technically, it is part of unincorporated Miami-Dade County, so we are calling this the Miami-Dade premiere; but I digress…

​The screening takes place on Saturday, March 9th beginning at 6:00 PM. With Q&A and a potential surprise or two, the entire event will be a two-hour affair. It takes place at:

Sunset Chapel
9393 SW 72nd St, Miami, FL
(On the grounds of True North Academy)

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This is a donation driven event and all proceeds will be shared with the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv through a donation to its USA based foundation.

This is our first screening/fundraiser for the university and is long overdue. It was the first place I went on my original trip to Ukraine when I arrived unannounced at the reception desk on March 31, 2022. I told the receptionist that I was there at the suggestion of Fr. Yaroslav of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church (UCC) in Boston, who had told me that if I made it to Lviv I should stop in.

As the Spirit would have it, the next day I was shooting interviews and staying at the UCU Inn where I experienced my first air raid sirens and visits to bomb shelters. Several days later my plans had been turned upside down with the retreat of the Russians from Bucha and the other suburbs of Kyiv, allowing me to go there. The rest, as they say, is history. Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv (theoeco.org)

​UCU is a renowned educational institution in Ukraine known to be free of corruption and tops academically. In other words, you can’t buy your way in. It is a beacon of values we can all recognize, and my time there made me understand Ukrainians are just like us. Especially the students and teachers. Following is a 12-minute video shot I shot there in 2022:  

Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine - April 1, 2022 

Even though Back to Bucha is a secular film one can’t help but recognize the Spirit imbued within it where so many of the interviewees actually mention their beliefs, which to me sounds like I’m listening to folks I might meet in Anywhere, USA. Especially moms who have moved back so they can raise their children, in their own homes, in their own country.

People like those at Sunset Chapel. When I first stopped in to see my good friend Jovy play with the band on a Sunday before Covid I saw it was as welcoming a place as I’ve ever been on a Sunday. Pastor Russ immediately affected me in the manner all great preachers do. Plus the sanctuary was filled with flags from around the world, including Ukraine’s, and when I saw the big screen I knew I had to ask.

​It will be a great place to watch the film.

To register go to the event page at:
​ https://www.TheoEco.org/BackToBuchaMiamiDade