To live between two worlds

The situation for Ukrainian refugees. Diaspora experiences and the power of documentaries

Over 10 million Ukrainians have become refugees and more than three million have left the country. For the refugees who find safety abroad, the war is in a way over, but on the other hand it’s not. While they themselves are safe, they are still closely connected with people living in the midst of the war. To live «between two worlds» like this can be traumatic. How are Ukrainians dealing with this and what can be learnt from the experiences of the Syrian diaspora?

In the talk we focused on the situation for refugees, on the power of documentary films to create understanding and empathy for the victims of war, and how films can be an extremely important addition to the news media.

Oleksandra Hrybenko is from Donetsk, Ukraine. PhD Fellow at the Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University researching the safety of women journalists reporting on the conflict in Ukraine. Since 2014 she has worked as a journalist and field producer for international media reporting on the conflict in Ukraine.

Osama Shaheen is a journalist for the Norwegian newspaper Bergens Tidende and founder of the Arab language magazine DER. He is a stateless Palestinian and came to Norway from Syria in 2015.

Moderator: Zeina Bali, Director, Masahat.