11 November 2026, 07:48
A film about the occupation of Crimea captivated audiences in Scotland
Ця стаття також доступна українською
A still from the film "Etched in Memory." PHOTO: Christina Paschyn/Instagram
The documentary film "Etched in Memory" won the Audience Choice Award at a festival in Scotland. The film tells the story of the Crimean Tatars’ struggle against the Russian occupation.
This was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.
The Central Scotland Documentary Festival 2026 took place from November 5 to 9, 2026, in Stirling, Scotland. Out of 170 documentary films, the organizers selected 18 finalists, including the Ukrainian film. It was screened on November 8.
The film“Etched in Memory” tells the stories of Crimean Tatars who have faced the Russian occupation of Crimea, persecution, and full-scale war. One of the central themes is the human rights activism of Eskender and Zarema Bariev, particularly their fight for the release of Crimean political prisoners and the de-occupation of the peninsula.
The film also features the stories 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.
The filmmakers devoted special attention to the story of 17-year-old Emir Belyalov. The young man was killed when a Russian missile struck his family’s home in the village of Semykhatka in the Henichesk district.
Through the personal testimonies of the protagonists, the film depicts the consequences of the occupation and the war, the forced displacement from homes, repression, and the Crimean Tatar people’s struggle for their rights.
Filming took place in Ukraine, Turkey, and Poland. The director is Christina Pashin, an American journalist and documentary filmmaker of Ukrainian descent. This marks her debut feature-length documentary.
The film has already been named Best Documentary Film at the International Crimean Film Festival in Istanbul and won the Best International Documentary Film award at the 2nd MYTH International Film Awards. The film was also screened in Hollywood at the 29th Arpa International Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
