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Our Life | Наше життя November | Листопад 2020 24 In most genocides, death is typically instantane- ous, either by execution or by deportation. Death by starvation, however, is a prolonged, cruel, and dehumanizing process. Humans can live without oxygen for only 10 minutes, without water for 3-8 days, and without food for up to 70 days. Given the prolonged pain and myriad of agonizing symptoms throughout each stage of physical deterioration, starvation is unquestionably one of the cruelest ways to die. What kind of person allows innocent people, including children, to slowly starve to death without showing compassion? The evil of such individuals is indescribable and incomprehen- sible in modern society. The short documentary film When We Starve (2018) is intended to facilitate viewers’ under - standing of the devastating effects of extreme hun- ger due to prolonged food deprivation. The topic was examined using eyewitness accounts from Holodomor survivors, as well as input from clergy, a former acting Minister of Health of Ukraine, a renowned journalist and author, and physicians specializing in the fields of gastroenterology and psychiatry. As the European Parliament stated in a 2008 resolution, the Holodomor, a famine engi- neered by Stalin in 1932–1933, was an “appalling crime against the Ukrainian people” resulting in the “death by starvation” of an estimated 4-7 mil - lion people. The film further develops the story of Holodomor survivors by examining the physiological, psycho- logical, and spiritual impact of this man-made famine. By exposing the effects of starvation, we hoped to cultivate a more personal and relatable connection between the observer and the victims of the Holodomor. As president of UMANA’s Central NY Chapter, I under - took this project at the request of the U.S. Commit - tee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness. Two recent graduates of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Carmen Emmi and Anna Romano, helped make When We Starve a reality. Carmen and Anna enthusiastically assembled a team of computer animators, sound mixers, and color correctors to produce the film. This film was designed to introduce the Holodomor into Western school curricula using an empirical point of view. The consequences of imposed star - vation are thoughtfully analyzed by a distinguished assembly of commentators. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Anne Applebaum (Pulitzer Prize–winning writer and journalist), Dr. Ulana Suprun (former Acting Health Minister of Ukraine), Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrain - ian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia Borys Gudziak, Dr. George Jaskiw (professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve), and several survivors of the Holodomor, all of whom provide insightful and harrowing perspectives regarding the tragedy. Despite accumulating over four hours of filmed interviews, after countless hours of editing, we decided to limit the documentary to 14 minutes in order to maintain viewer interest. The movie begins by showing how food is both im - portant for survival and a culturally essential focal point for family and community events. In West - ern society, food is available almost everywhere. Despite an abundant grain harvest in Ukraine in 1932–1933 – in the “breadbasket of Europe” – millions of victims died from Stalin’s engineered starvation. Food was inhumanely confiscated from homes, farms, and even individuals’ pockets, Borys Buniak , MD, FACP, UMANA President – Central NY Chapter Member, U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness Documentary Film Describes the Effects of Death by Starvation “When We Starve”
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