Ukraine Is Not a Brothel

Kitty Green 2013

Ukraine’s topless feminist sensation, Femen, has stirred up a press frenzy across Europe. Femen bare their breasts to protest the international perception of Ukrainian women as either brides for sale or commodities of sex tourism. With a first-time intimate glimpse into the world’s most provocative feminist organization, we see how Femen fight their naked war against patriarchy. However, before they take the world by storm, these bold and beautiful women must first confront the perverse and contradictory forces that power their own “titillating” organisation.

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Running Time:

78 min.

Spoken Languages:

Russian, Ukrainian

Subtitles:

English

Directors:

Kitty Green

Producers:

Kitty Green, Jonathan auf der Heide, Michael Latham

Cinematographers:

Michael Latham

Editors:

Kitty Green

Activism

Gender

Human Rights

Russian Cinema and Cul..

Press

Video Librarian

"Ukraine’s feminist movement is the subject of Kitty Green’s critical, yet sympathetic documentary about Femen, an organization formed in the wake of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union that aims to shed light on the hardships faced by Ukrainian women... Femen focuses on sex workers who have been the victims of human trafficking, but their methodology is questionable at best... Femen’s signature act of civil disobedience is the topless protest, which naturally attracts attention, although not necessarily for the intended reasons. An interesting profile of an unconventional feminist group, this is recommended."

K. Fennessy
The Hollywood Reporter

"Green beautifully allows the material (and the characters) to speak for itself..."

Boyd van Hoeij
Variety

"A fascinating documentary..."

Leslie Felperin

Festival Participation

Venice Film Festival - 2013
Lina Mangiacapre Award - Special Mention
World Premiere
BFI London Film Festival - 2013
Grierson Award Nominee (Documentary Competition)
IDFA - 2013
True/False Film Festival - 2014
SXSW - 2014
Full Frame Film Festival - 2014
Hot Docs - 2014
Sydney Film Festival - 2014
International Festival for Human Rights - 2014
One World International Documentary Festival - 2014
One World Romania (Bucharest) - 2014
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - 2014
Full Frame Film Festival - 2014
Bushwick Film Festival - 2014
Best Documentary Feature
4th AACTA - 2015
Best Feature Length Documentary Award

Additional Materials

Distribution Company

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