Zarina Zabrisky's Kherson doc - watch this now

Very occasionally you see a reference to Kherson on the news. A mention of 'human safari' taking place there. But not often.

Kherson, a port city in SE Ukraine, on the Black Sea, was occupied by Russia for seven months in 2022. What the Russian occupiers did there is well-documented: mass torture, deportations, destruction of cultural sites and libraries, arrests, a regime of fear and violence.

Then the city was liberated by Ukrainian armed forces in November 2022. I remember watching the videos of that liberation from Kharkiv, people greeting their soldiers in tears, wrapped in the Ukrainian flags they'd had to bury or hide during occupation. There was such a massive sense of hope then. We didn't know how Kherson would be punished.

The future of warfare is going to be dominated by drones, we all know that. Russia is perfecting its use of drones by practicing on the civilians of this city. Day and night, hunting them down, on their bicycles, in cars and buses, on foot. Plus artillery, missiles, aviation. Mass punishment of a civilian population.

And it's not in the news enough, and not enough people know about it. So I'm asking everyone to watch this documentary: Zarina Zabrisky's inside view of a city under constant siege. It's currently free to watch here https://khersonhumansafari.com/

I know Zarina and admire her work. She has been in Kherson for long periods over the last few years, risking everything (we use this phrase a lot about journalists, but with her it's true, and I'm relieved every time I see her post). She so obviously loves this city and its people - the film is not just about the drone safari and Russian war crimes, but also the spirit of Kherson and the people who remain - with their aerial yoga classes, wonderful food, and vibrant cultural scene. It's remarkable.

Please watch the doc, and follow Zarina's updates: she posts from Kherson on twitter and fb and instagram, reports for Euromaidan Press. Her video dispatches are full of little details of life - the funny bits as well as the grim - yoga, art, watermelons, theatre (see this latest one of a hair-raising trip to Mykolaiv underground theatre). They are an antidote to the 'Look at me!' posts you get elsewhere - you know, those videos with one lone, loud male (often a glorified blogger) in the centre of the frame the whole time. In contrast, Zarina's often not even IN her shots - the focus is on the people she's talking to. Same with the doc. Which I encourage you all to watch. Right now.