In February 2014, during the darkest days of the massive uprising in Ukraine, a 24-year-old graduate student, Yulia Marushevska, awakened the world to her countryʼs revolution with the courageous and powerful YouTube video, “I Am a Ukrainian.” (http://bit.ly/M6znXw). In one week, 3 million people in 230 countries had viewed it; in 14 days, 7 million people watched it. Her quavering, straight-from-the-soul speech and mesmerizing presence shook people around the world into awareness of the struggle taking place.
I am a Ukrainian
Literally overnight Yulia went from unknown, ordinary Ukrainian to global celebrity, overwhelmed with demands from the international press. Charismatic and brilliant on camera and off, she quickly became the de facto spokesperson to the world for the revolution, sought after by every major network around the world, plus programs like PBSʼs “Charlie Rose” and scores of print and radio press outlets from five continents.
This once unknown, ordinary college student has become welcome at the highest levels of government in Europe and America; and now is determined to take full
advantage of her fame for her countryʼs future. She is on a mission to coax, cajole, pressure or entice in any way possible America and Europe – and the world – to help her countryʼs fledgling democracy resist what she sees as the ominous clutches of Vladimir Putinʼs Russia. Few can resist her. On a speaking tour of the U.S. and Canada in April, she met in New York with former Georgian president Mikhiel Saakashvili, had meetings with Senator Marco Rubio and other politicians in Washington and members of parliament in Canada. She has been invited to spend the summer doing post-graduate work at Harvard.
Today she has invitations from the highest levels of politics, culture and society around the world and offers from Ukraineʼs new leaders to help reform the government. As her country battles to free itself from Russian political dominion, Yulia struggles with her own transformation from quiet anonymity to woman of the world – pursued by the press and threatened by shadowy detractors.
Now, Ben Moses, the LA-based producer/director who helped her post her video on YouTube, has started production on a long-form documentary about the Ukrainian
revolution as seen through Yuliaʼs eyes. A 30-day Kickstarter campaign to support the film launched Tuesday June 17th. Link: http://bit.ly/IAmAUkrainian.
Yulia to speak at WIRED 2014 in London, 16-17 October 2014.
wired 2014
Wired magazine’s annual event “to promote disruptive thinking.” The invitation is another recognition of Yulia Marushevska as a game changing figure.
Other speakers include Elif Shafak – Turkey’s bestselling female writer; Professor Sugata Mitra – Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University and winner of the 2013 TED Prize for his wish to build a School in the Cloud; Cesar A. Hidalgo – Head of the Macro Connections group at the MIT Media Lab; Jay Bregman– Founder and CEO of smartphone tech company Hailo; Nico Sell – CEO and founder of Wickr, and chief organiser of DEFCON, the largest gathering of hackers in the world; and Sam Bompas – founder of Bompas & Parr, jelly-making experts and leaders in flavour-based experience design, culinary research, architectural installations and contemporary food design.
Info fromYulia’s official website and press release : http://www.iamaukrainianmovie.com/press-kit/