Family Portrait in Black and White

Plot Summary

Beautiful, fearless and emotional, Family Portrait in Black and White, “gets high marks for honesty” (New York Times). It paints a portrait of “an imperfect solution in Ukraine, a country that seems to have a lot that needs solving”. The divide between the older Ukrainians that have grown up under the Russian socialist state and the younger generations has been at the core of the Maidan protests and the civil war between pro-Russian forces and Ukrainian army. A multiple-award-winning international festival favorite, Family Portrait in Black and White is a compelling look at racism, value systems, and what family means in today’s ever-changing society. Director Julia Ivanova beautifully highlights Olga Nenya's bold and courageous journey of fostering 16 Afro-Ukrainian orphans in a society that is still learning to accept foreigners. Desperate to become a member of the European Union, the hope for Ukraine’s future lies not only from financial gains of EU membership but with society’s acceptance of European ways of thinking including respect for other cultures as well as a proper childcare system that looks after abandoned orphans. “A powerful and complex documentary” (New York Magazine). "The film is a feat of unforced and watchful insight." (Chicago Tribune)