Ukrainian Spring Film Marathon - Kobzarka: A Frontline Operetta

The exclusive first screening of the documentary "Kobzarka" is coming to the Ukrainian Spring Film Marathon in San Francisco, and director Gladden Rangel will be joining the audience in person. 

The evening kicks off with an introductory presentation, followed by the screening, and wraps up with a post-film discussion and Q&A.

About “Kobzarka”

Kobzarka follows Inna Ishchenko, an aspiring Ukrainian pop singer who trades stardom for the front line, performing for defenders in a war for her country's survival. By choosing the bandura, a traditional instrument once banned by Soviet authorities, she steps into the outlawed lineage of the kobzars, blind bards who preserved history through song.

Touring the Donetsk region, Inna offers brief moments of connection to war-weary defenders and eventually finds the courage to write her first original song.

Told in a hybrid format that blends vérité documentary with musical performance, Kobzarka unfolds as a docu-operetta, where frontline performances merge with a studio score to create a single, immersive experience.

About the Filmmaker

Gladden Rangel is a self-taught filmmaker based in Los Angeles. In 2014, a DJ booking in Mexico spiraled into a wrongful imprisonment. Inside, he encountered musicians: condemned men making music without ambition, without hope, just expression. That experience became the seed of something larger. He wanted to document musicians in misunderstood or dangerous places, creating art not for fame, but to survive and to speak.

In the winter of 2023, that idea led him to Ukraine. He arrived alone, with no contacts and no institutional backing. Through chance and instinct, he found Inna, the soldiers she performed for, and the Ukrainian cinematographers who helped shape the film.

Kobzarka is his debut documentary and the first chapter of an ongoing body of work documenting music as a language of survival across cultures in conflict.

Time

• 5 PM — Doors Open
• 5:30-7:30 PM — Movie Screening
• 7:30-8 PM — Discussion

Seating is limited. Early RSVP recommended.

One hundred percent (100%) of the net proceeds from this event will benefit Nova Ukraine, located at 425 Page Mill Road, FL 2, Palo Alto, CA 94306, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Nova Ukraine’s annual report and more information are available at www.novaukraine.org.

Parking Information:

Discounted parking will be available from 3–9 PM at 825 Sansome Street, San Francisco. Parking is $15 per vehicle, with an additional $10 fee for oversized vehicles. Guests should mention they are attending the Ukrainian Spring Film Marathon to receive the discounted rate.

This spring, Nova Ukraine invites you to join the Ukrainian Spring Film Marathon — a curated cinema series dedicated to Ukrainian storytelling, culture, strength, and resolve.

It's a community gathering with expert introductions, post-film discussions, and the kind of conversations that stay with you long after the credits roll.

Hosted at the C Ukraine Cultural Showcase in downtown San Francisco, this Cinema Club project creates a space where film becomes dialogue.

With the support of the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco, we are building a regular cultural forum that strengthens Ukrainian-American ties through art, discussion, and shared experience.

C Ukraine is a cultural space and pop-up store that showcases and celebrates Ukrainian art, heritage, and innovation.

Located at: 875 Sansome St, San Francisco, CA

Guests can explore Ukrainian traditions, contemporary design, and creative brands — and now, engage with Ukrainian cinema in an intimate setting.

Disclaimer:

Nova Ukraine reserves the right to use photos and videos taken during the event for marketing and publicity on our website, social media, or any third-party publication. If you do not wish to be photographed, please inform an event organizer and/or a photographer.

Nova Ukraine shall implement reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized recording or duplication during the screening at the event.

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Host or Publisher Nova Ukraine