Documentary tour marks 35 years since Ukraine’s independence vote and Canada’s recognition

Distance to Independence will launch a cross-Canada screening tour on Nov. 16 in Ottawa, highlighting the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence referendum and Canada’s early recognition of the new state. The film revisits the role of Ukrainian-Canadian activists in the 1991 campaign, a story that lands differently as Ukraine continues to fight Russia’s invasion.

Why it matters: - The tour ties Ukraine’s 1991 independence struggle to today’s war, underscoring why sovereignty remains a live issue for Ukrainians. - The film also spotlights Canada’s early support for Ukraine, including its role as the first Western country to formally recognize an independent Ukraine. - The documentary gives Canadian audiences a historical frame for Canada’s current political, security and humanitarian partnership with Ukraine.

What happened: - Distance to Independence will launch a national Canadian tour on Nov. 16, 2026, starting in Ottawa. - The film marks the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Dec. 1, 1991 independence referendum and Canada’s recognition of Ukraine the next day. - Screenings are scheduled for Ottawa and Vancouver on Nov. 16, Montreal on Nov. 17, Toronto on Nov. 18, Winnipeg on Nov. 19, Saskatoon on Nov. 22, Edmonton on Nov. 23 and Calgary on Nov. 24. - Tickets and more information are available here.

The details: - The documentary focuses on a little-known part of Ukrainian-Canadian history tied to the 1991 independence movement. - After Ukraine’s declaration of independence on Aug. 24, 1991, about 80 young Canadians and Americans of Ukrainian descent traveled to Ukraine. - Over the 99 days before the referendum, they met with students, professors, miners, workers and local communities to make the case for independence, democracy and a future Ukrainian state. - The activists went beyond Kyiv and western Ukraine into eastern and southern cities including Donetsk and Mariupol, where support for breaking from the Soviet Union was uncertain. - They brought printing equipment from Canada, handed out leaflets and other materials, and produced television ads in support of independence. - Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a Canadian businessman and former four-term MP for Etobicoke Centre, was one of the campaign organizers. - Wrzesnewskyj recorded events in Ukraine on a handy camera during the 1991 travels, and those recordings later became part of the documentary. - Filmmakers accessed about 20 videotapes, which were digitized in Toronto in 2026. - The footage shows Ukraine in the final months of the Soviet Union and captures a period when the country’s political future was still uncertain. - The documentary was made by two production teams working in Ukraine and Canada. - Anna Palenchuk, producer and founder of the Ukrainian Canadian Film Community, coordinated filming in Canada and will attend the tour screenings. - Akim Galimov, a Ukrainian journalist, founder of the Real History project and co-producer of the documentary, will also attend screenings and participate in Q&A sessions. - The production received financial support from the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, the Shevchenko Foundation’s Ukrainian Canadian Veterans’ Fund, Huculak Foundation and the UNF Foundation. - Kazka Films is distributing the film in Canada. - The credits list Akim Halimov as narrator, Anna Palenchuk as original concept creator, Hanna Yurlovska as writer, Dariia Sarycheva as director, Denys Lisovents and Artur Pudak as directors of photography, and Dariia Sarycheva, Mykola Bazarkin and Mykola Bezkrovnyi as editors.

Between the lines: - The release frames the documentary as both a history lesson and a current political statement, linking the 1991 independence campaign to Ukraine’s present-day resistance. - The inclusion of Canadian-based organizers and archival footage suggests the film is aimed at both Ukrainian diaspora audiences and broader Canadian viewers. - The post-screening Q&As are designed to turn the tour into a discussion about memory, media and national identity.

What’s next: - The Canadian tour will move city by city through late November, with filmmaker appearances at screenings. - The film has already had a theatrical release in Ukraine, which may help build momentum for its Canadian run. - More information and ticket details are available on the tour website.