First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with Bo Tengberg, a Danish filmmaker and screenwriter, husband of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who arrived in Kyiv to participate in the jury of the Cinema for Victory festival. The meeting took place at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
Olena Zelenska noted that Bo Tengberg is an active participant in the global platform of the First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit, in particular, he took part in the third meeting, which took place on September 6, 2023, and was dedicated to mental health in Ukraine and the world.
"In a special sociological study, we found out that the war had affected the mental health of people in countries even far away from Ukraine. Bo Tengberg, like Sean Penn, was then a participant in a discussion on the impact of art on mental health. The key outcome of the summit was the conclusion of 25 medical partnerships between Ukrainian and global hospitals. In particular, between the Danish leading children's clinic of Mary Elizabeth and the Kyiv Regional Children's Hospital. They are already exchanging experience and jointly helping patients," the President's wife reminded.
Bo Tengberg has participated in the production of 64 films, first in the documentary S.O.S. (1992). His most recent work to date is the documentary series Can You Think Fast? (2021). He is also known for his work on Wonderful Copenhagen (2018), The Traveling Team (2000) and The Crime (2007).
Cinema for Victory is the first national annual film festival in Ukraine, founded under the auspices of the Ukrainian State Film Agency in 2024. The aim of the film festival is to popularize documentary films created during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The jury, in addition to Bo Tengberg, included such well-known directors as Sean Penn and Abel Ferrara.
"In line with the festival's name, the artists will explore how documentaries – powerful true testimonies – can contribute to victory. One of these films, 20 Days in Mariupol, is known to be nominated for an Oscar and has already won a BAFTA award. It is very important that there are more such films and they are seen everywhere in the world, revealing the truth about Ukraine and our resistance to the aggressor," Olena Zelenska emphasized.