Presentation of the new version of the documentary film “Only the loving will survive: Traian Popovici and others” at Ostrytsia Lyceum in Bukovina

On January 23, 2025, the Ostrytsia Lyceum, a key educational institution of the Ostrytsia territorial community in Chernivtsi region, hosted the presentation of the new version of the documentary film “Only the loving will survive: Traian Popovici and others”, now featuring Romanian subtitles.

The film presents the remarkable story of rescuing persecuted Jewish residents of Chernivtsi during World War II. it reveals why love is the most important word in times of war and emphasizing stories of rescue are over those of destruction. The plot is based on the book “Confession. Biography. Testimonies.” by Dragoș Olaru and Serhiy Vorontsov, which details the life of Traian Popovici, the mayor of Chernivtsi. In 1941, Popovici succeeded in saving nearly 20,000 Jewish residents from extermination. In 1969, Israel honoured him with the title “Righteous Among the Nations”, stating: “As a sign of special gratitude for saving twenty thousand Jews of Chernivtsi from deportation to death camps in Transnistria.” The documentary explores who saved lives and why, gradually expanding its narrative with additional details and historical accuracy.

This documentary was created as a part of the Charitable Foundation “Public Resources and Initiatives” project: “Countering the Distortion of Holocaust History by Promoting the Development of a Cultural-Educational Project: Local History Through the Lens of Symbolic Figures – The Mayor of Chernivtsi as a Righteous Among the Nations.” The project was implemented with financial support from the Romanian Agency for International Development Cooperation (RoAid).

Film Production Team:

• Project Leader: Serhiy Hakman
• Co-Author & Scriptwriter: Serhiy Vorontsov
• Co-Author, Director & Cinematographer: Vyacheslav Khabaylo
• Actors: Ivan Danilin, Oleksiy Hryhorchuk
• Cinematographers: Vitaliy Yaskevych, Volodymyr Khaliavka
• Editing: Andriy Dubinetskyi, Volodymyr Khaliavka
• Literary Editor: Olesya Andriychuk

Serhiy Hakman, the Vice President of the Charitable Foundation “Public Resources and Initiatives” and project leader, presented the film and took part in discussion with students and teachers of the lyceum.