Past life shadows

In these difficult times, when a peaceful life has become almost an unattainable dream, we, the collective of the shadow theater VERBA, have deeply felt the importance of art as a litmus test reflecting the spirit of the times. The first days of the full-scale invasion are hard to recall, especially because among the ruins of our dreams and memories, we search for traces of what once was our life.

Instead of going to school or playing with friends that morning, our children ran to the basement. For our children, tanks are no longer museum exhibits; they have seen them by the dozens from their own windows. Airplanes, once associated with joyful journeys, now brought paralysis and destruction. With tears in our eyes, we hastily packed our entire lives into a single suitcase…

This new, cruel world has forced us to reflect on the value of every moment and the importance of protecting our loved ones.

In response to these memories and pain, we, together with Suspilne, created the video project “Past life shadows”, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Russo-Ukrainian war and the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion. This project is our way of reminding of the unshakeable spirit, strength of will, and resilience that help us continue living in wartime conditions. We used footage that reflects the devastating consequences of the war in Chernihiv, including shelled houses and destroyed schools, and integrated them with the shadows of our actors.

In our previous project, dedicated to Independence Day, we already showed that art can be a powerful means of expressing patriotism and unity.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with Suspilne and believe that our joint projects will continue to highlight the importance of memory, respect for the past, and the necessity to fight for a better future.