Polish famous actors have read two autobiographical stories by Ukrainian political prisoner Oleh Sentsov to support Ukrainian film director and show their solidarity with him.
Sentsov declared a hunger strike in May demanding the Russian authorities to release all illegally detained Ukrainians in Russian prisons. He has been serving a 20-year term in a Russian penal colony informally called “White Bear” since 2015 on bogus charges for “creation of a criminal group and the preparation of terrorist attacks in Crimea.”
The first video with Agata Kulesza, Joanna Kulig, Edyta Olszowka and Andrzej Chyra reading the story “Dog” appeared on Facebook on July 10.
“For me, the most important thing in life is freedom and respect. For these values I’m fighting as I can. My participation in the project is a reaction to what is happening today with Sentsov,” said Olszowka.
Andrzej Seweryn, Aleksandra Poplawska and the winner of the best male role at the Molodist-2016 film festival Daniel Olbrychski read the story called “Grandmother.” This video was published on Sentsov’s birthday – July 13.
Both stories, read in Polish, have been already viewed by more than 80,000 people.
“I read Sentsov’s story so I could express my solidarity. I do it for myself, for my grandchildren. I want Sentsov’s texts to be heard by other Poles. I hope that Oleh will be able to hear his own works in a good Polish translation,” said actor Seweryn.
In the near future, Polish actors plan to record a video where they will read Sentsov’s lyrics in English and Russian.
