Ukraine’s cultural history - still an undiscovered treasure for international audiences - has frequently been ignored or submerged within the narratives of past imperial masters. Ukraine’s independence, and the consequent accessibility of many sites and resources allow a new depiction of the master arc of Ukrainian creativity.

A Kingdom Reborn: Treasures from Ukrainian Galicia brings to life one of the legendary cities and regions of Central Europe. Called variously Leopoli, Lemberg, Lwow, Lvov and now the city of Lviv, the subject of this program is a striking fairy tale metropolis. It is a cultural crossroad that is known in its Latin incarnation as Civitas Leonis, or the “City of the Lion”- a name bestowed in honor of its first Ruthenian medieval ruler Prince Lev, or “the Lion.” This city is the capital of a legendary principality called Galicia, whose architectural monuments and artistic treasures offer an exquisite blending of the Byzantine and Latin aesthetic.

Galicia today faces new challenges as it sits astride the demarcation line between the newly expanded European Union and those orphaned outside. As Lviv was transformed from a Ruthenian princely seat to a Polish royal city, from Austrian crownland capital to once again a Polish regional center, then to a captive city in the Nazi and Soviet empires, and finally to the heart of Ukrainian identity and European aspirations, national memory and civic identity were contested and recreated.

Our work presents Lviv and its cityscape, and the region’s myths, legends and artistic achievements, as constantly shifting arenas where diverse and complex identities evolved and now face specific challenges in the 21^st century. This process has created a stunning visual legacy that will be presented to the world for the first time in our program

Our soundtrack features rediscovered texts of old Ukrainian music as well as contemporary works by Myroslav Skoryk - a repertoire that will be a revelation to listeners. Our film also reflects the brilliant Armenian, Jewish, Austrian and Polish contributions to the artistic and architectural heritage of Galicia. The spine of program, narrated in English by Maggie Huculak and in Ukrainian by Lesya Bonkovska, will follow the region’s contribution to the broader European cultural patrimony. Interviews with museum curators, historians and iconographers who offer an alluring esprit de clocher, a strong sense of local identity and worldview, reveal hidden jewels that have miraculously survived repeated wars and disasters.

As far as we can determine, this is not only the first English-language documentary on Lviv and western Ukraine, but the first in any major Western language. The film’s approach is both fresh and startling. We also hope it will be an important contribution to documentary archives worldwide.

Peter Bejger, writerDani Stodilka, producer