A film about Russia's crimes in Crimea will be screened at a film festival in the U.S.

The documentary film "Etched in Memory," which tells the stories of Crimean Tatars who have suffered under Russian occupation, repression, and full-scale war, will be screened at the YoFiFest film festival in the United States. The screening is scheduled for November 9, 2026, in Yonkers, New York.

This was announced by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center. 

The film “Etched in Memory” explores the consequences of Russian aggression through the personal stories of Crimean Tatars. One of the central themes is the human rights activism of Eskender and Zarema Bariev, who are fighting for the release of Crimean political prisoners and the de-occupation of the peninsula.

The film also highlights the story of Nariman Dzhelal, who was released from Russian captivity; Leyla Ibragimova, director of the Melitopol Local History Museum, who was abducted by the occupiers; and Crimean Tatar soldier Seiran Kadyrov, who died defending Ukraine. Special attention was given to 17-year-old Emir Belyalov, who was killed when a Russian missile struck his family’s home in the village of Semykhatka in the Henichesk district.

Through the stories of these heroes, the filmmakers depict the forced displacement from their homes, persecution, loss, and the struggle for the rights of the indigenous people of Crimea. The film also chronicles the international efforts of the Crimean Tatars, who are drawing the world’s attention to Russia’s human rights violations and emphasizing the need to end the occupation of the peninsula.

The film was directed by Christina Pashin, an American journalist and documentary filmmaker of Ukrainian descent. “Etched in Memory” is her debut feature-length documentary.

In addition, from November 5 to 9, 2026, the film will be screened in Scotland as part of the Central Scotland Documentary Festival.

The film has already received international recognition. In September, it won the top prize at the first International Crimean Film Festival in Istanbul. The film was honored with the MYTH Film Award in the “Best International Documentary” category. It was also screened in Hollywood at the 29th Arpa International Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

Анна Літман