New movie chronicles true stories of Ukrainian persecution
Irondale, AL – Viewers who want to know what life is really like after a Communist invasion need look no further than EWTN’s brand new film, “To Believe,” which was produced by EWTN Ukraine in Kyiv, a city that is now under assault after Thursday’s invasion by Russia. Written by Ukrainians and filmed in Ukraine, the movie premieres at 10 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 26, with encores at 10 p.m. ET, Sunday, Feb. 27, and 3 a.m. ET, Tuesday, March 1. Visit ewtn.com/everywhere for more information.
This hour-long film presents the true story of Father Sebastian Sabudzinski and the families in his small Catholic parish during the Communist persecution. As the film opens, viewers see a round-up of priests marching through a forest where they are given one last chance to renounce their faith. When there are no takers, all are shot to death by a firing squad. But the story really begins in 1953 when a man, who had been taken from his family as a young boy and interned in a concentration camp for 30 years, returns home to his family. The film then flashes back to 1921 and the events that led to the man’s internment.
The film is based on actual events and the stories of real people and is dedicated to all those who have preserved their faith during the long night of Communism.
The film recounts the emotional turmoil of those who were traumatized by the Soviets during the persecution and the communist propaganda. Viewers will also experience the repression of people sent to Siberia for attending a prayer service, wearing a medal, or owning a Bible – and the agony of those who did not know if their loved one was alive or dead, or where they had been taken.
Ukrainian Catholics risked their lives to save religious objects from their churches and to hide religious objects, even as their oppressors dug up the ground around their homes to ensure no such objects were present.
All of this takes place even before the story of Father Sebastian Sabudzinski is introduced.
How did the Ukrainian people survive? Viewers will see that even as those holding a prayer service at a cemetery are either killed or sent to Siberia, “faith and love for God were stronger than fear.”
The film was set to premiere in June, but moved up to February due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Featured image: A still from “To Believe,” a film produced by EWTN Ukraine, is based on actual events and stories of real people who persevered in their faith during the long night of Communism in Ukraine, a country now under assault after a recent invasion by Russia. This film, written by Ukrainians and filmed in Ukraine, premieres at 10 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 26, with encores at 10 p.m. ET, Sunday, Feb. 27, and 3 a.m. ET, Tuesday, March 1 on EWTN. (Photo courtesy of EWTN)
