docUNight: Big Water

Join us for a docUNight in UN City Copenhagen, featuring a screening of the documentary 'Big Water' – a film capturing the relentless efforts of Ukraine's Environmental State Service to document the aftermath of the Kakhovka dam & power station explosion, a catastrophic event with far-reaching environmental and human impacts.

Dive deeper into the realities of conflict zones as we explore first-hand experiences of development work in volatile environments as well as the intersection of personal stories from conflict zones, media narratives, and policy-making & actionable change.

Run time: 39 min

Language: Original (Ukrainian) with English subtitles

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Please bring a valid photo-ID to get through security at UN City and set aside time for the security check prior to the event. Please note that the check-in will open at 16:30 and close at 17:20.

Please reserve each ticket under each person's name (i.e., due to the security check, please do not book tickets under your name for someone else).

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Programme:

17:30 Welcome by moderator, Head of UN City Communications, Noa Valentin Katz Søgaard

17:35 Keynote by Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director, Jorge Moreira da Silva

17:45 Film screening of 'Big Water'

18:25 Interview with the filmmakers and Q&A

• Anna Tsyhyma (Director and Cinematographer)

• Ghanna Mamonova (Journalist and Media Manager)

19:05 Panel discussion and Q&A

• Tim Lardner (Director, Europe and Central Asia Region, UNOPS)

• Dr Flemming Splidsboel Hansen (Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies)

• Nataliya Popovych (Co-founder and Chairperson, Ukraine House in Denmark)

20:00 End of event

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About the Film – 'Big Water':

The documentary film ‘Big Water’ spotlights the tireless efforts of the Environmental State Service representatives in Ukraine to document the aftermath of the Kakhovka dam explosion and the scale of the damages.

It follows several key figures who retrieve bodies of the dead from the floodwaters, sail through dangerous water to collect potentially poisonous water samples and ensure that residents have access to drinking water.

The documentary delves into the personal and professional struggles of those who are not only tasked with uncovering the truth but are also victims of the disaster themselves.

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About Tim Lardner:

Mr Lardner has over 30 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sectors. He was appointed Director of Europe and Central Asia Region in April 2024, in addition to holding his position as UNOPS Country Director for Ukraine, Moldova and Poland. Previously, he was UNOPS Country Director for Somalia. Before joining UNOPS, Mr Lardner served as Chief of the UN Mine Action Service in South Sudan as well as the UN Development Programme’s Chief Technical Advisor to the government of Lao PDR. In addition to significant experience with NGOs and the United Nations, he has also worked in private, academic and commercial sectors.

About Flemming Splidsboel Hansen:

Dr Hansen is a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies. His research interests include security and military developments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as the use of disruptive technologies and information operations. He was previously with the Central European University, the Danish military and the OSCE in Tajikistan. Dr Splidsboel Hansen is currently researching information operations.

About Nataliya Popovych:

Nataliya Popovych is a civic activist and communications expert specialising in countering disinformation. She founded the consultancy One Philosophy and The Resilient Ukraine, focusing on Ukrainian resilience and global advocacy. Since 2014, Nataliya has co-founded the Ukraine Crisis Media Center and led key initiatives like the Hybrid Warfare Analytical Group. She also helped establish the Ukraine House in Denmark, advancing cultural diplomacy and raising awareness of Ukrainian issues in Northern Europe.

About Anna Tsyhyma:

Anna Tsyhyma is a documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and the Chief Director at the Public Interest Journalism Lab. She has reported on the war in Ukraine since 2014, working in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, occupied Crimea, and Russia. Her films devoted to human rights and political prisoners have won numerous awards in Ukraine. Tsyhyma served as chief director for the independent Ukrainian media Hromadske TV, TVI, and has worked as a director for ICTV. Since 2020 she has been artistic director and lead videographer of The Public Interest Journalism lab. After the full-scale invasion, she pivoted to frontline reporting, filming the exodus of refugees from Bucha, the siege of Kyiv and Chernihiv, occupation of Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv regions. She is the author of The Reckoning Project’s documentaries “The Hospital That Was Taken Hostage” and “Station Kramatorsk”.

About Ghanna Mamonova:

Ghanna Mamonova is a Ukrainian journalist and media manager originally from Luhansk. For more than a decade in the profession, she has covered the invasion of East Ukraine, Maidan protests, and trials of Ukrainian politicians.

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Background:

Over two years of fighting have resulted in unimaginable human suffering and far-reaching economic consequences. Thousands of civilians have been killed and injured. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced, and the war has caused – and continues to cause – significant damage to the country’s critical infrastructure, which will take years to rebuild. The cost of reconstruction and recovery now stands at $486 billion.

In addition to catastrophic loss of life, livelihoods and record levels of displacement, the conflict is deepening the climate crisis, among its many global repercussions. Now, more than ever, we owe it to the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people to speak about, and act for the recovery of Ukraine.

Against this background, UNOPS has worked in multiple sectors and regions with a focus on responding to immediate humanitarian and early recovery needs. UNOPS has done so working closely with the UN family, Ukraine’s national and municipal governments, and other local and international partners – including the European Union, the governments of Denmark and Japan, and the World Bank. UNOPS echoes the UN Secretary-General’s call for just and sustainable peace in line with the UN Charter and international law. UNOPS remains committed to supporting the people and the government of Ukraine to respond, recover and build back better, for a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for all Ukrainians.

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About UNOPS:

UNOPS provides infrastructure, procurement, and project management services for a sustainable world. The mission of UNOPS is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

To support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, UNOPS responds to its partners’ needs and helps increase the effectiveness of peace and security, humanitarian and development projects around the world.

Learn more about the work of UNOPS.

About HUM:Global (Copenhagen University):

As part of Copenhagen University, HUM:Global is a cross-faculty initiative that maps, harnesses, and stimulates researchers, projects, networks (both with external global partners and internally at KU), and centres at the Faculty of Humanities to generate and bring to life their greatest and most daring ideas on global processes and challenges. Over the next three years, HUM:Global will co-create projects and frameworks at the Faculty of Humanities, which will substantially enhance the capacity to research and teach on global subjects while increasing visibility, standing and impact in wider society.

Learn more about HUM:Global.

About Ukraine House:

Ukraine House in Denmark is the centre of Ukrainian culture in Denmark. Ukraine House brings the screening of “Big Water” to UN City as part of the “Heart of Earth” multidisciplinary exhibition, opened at Ukraine House in 2024, showcasing the works of 17 Ukrainian artists on the topics of environmental damage caused by war, the weaponisation of food, and colonial exploitation. The project is implemented by Ukraine House in Denmark and Mystetskyi Arsenal with support from the IZOLYATSIA foundation, Trans Europe Halles, and Malý Berlín, and is co-financed by the ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union under a dedicated call for proposals to support Ukrainian displaced people and the Ukrainian Cultural and Creative Sectors.

Learn more about Ukraine House.

About UN City Copenhagen:

UN City Copenhagen is a hub for the Sustainable Development Goals. It comprises 2 campuses. Campus 1 on Marmormolen opened in July 2013 and today houses 10 UN organisations with 1,700+ staff members from 100+ different countries. Campus 2, located in the container port in the Northern Harbour of Copenhagen, constitutes UNICEF’s state-of-the-art high bay warehouse. With a total storage capacity of 36,000 pallets, it is the largest humanitarian warehouse in the world.

UN City has become a hub where agencies can collaborate, share knowledge, and work with experts from different fields.

Learn more about UN City Copenhagen.

Host or Publisher UN City