Horizons of Belonging
ABOUT
What does it mean to be a Ukrainian newcomer in Alberta? A film crew followed four Ukrainian families over a year in Edmonton and Calgary as they navigated the challenges of rebuilding their lives after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Horizons of Belonging is a deeply personal exploration of identities, displacement and belonging, shedding light on what it means to be a modern Ukrainian, and ‘start over’ in a new country.
Directors
Steven Brese,
Oleksandr Pankieiev
Executive producer: Olena Goncharova
Genre:
Documentary
Year:
2025
Duration:
60 mins
Language:
Ukrainian, Russian, English
Subtitles:
English
DIRECTORS
STEVEN BRESE
Steven Brese graduated from the University of London, Heythrop College, with an MA in Contemporary Ethics in 2011 before pursuing a career in media production. He worked in television for four years in Ukraine before returning home to establish himself as a visual storyteller in Edmonton, Alberta. Steven films, edits and directs and has a deep desire to highlight stories of individuals who have the power to inspire others.
OLEKSANDR PANKIEIEV
Oleksandr Pankieiev is the president of the Alberta Ukrainian Film Festival and president of the Alberta Society for the Advancement of Ukrainian Studies. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Forum for Ukrainian Studies initiative of the Contemporary Ukraine Studies Program at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. He is the author of numerous books and articles about the culture and history of Ukraine.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
OLENA GONCHAROVA
Olena Goncharova is a development manager and Canadian correspondent for the Kyiv Independent. Previously, she joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, and became its Canadian correspondent in June 2018. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Olena has an MA from the Institute of Journalism at the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.
