Oleksandra Matviichuk

Empowered follows seven remarkable Ukrainians — human-rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk, singer Jamala, violinist Bohdana Pivnenko, kobzar Taras Kompanichenko, painter Anatolii Kryvolap, the band DakhaBrakha and cinematographer Serhii Mykhalchuk. Through their work and everyday lives, the film shows a country that keeps making art, defending human rights and building its future even in the middle of a full-scale war. Its subject is not what Ukraine endures, but what Ukrainians go on creating and protecting.

For 80 years, the UN Security Council permanent member veto power has been the subject of constant debate, within the UN and without. The veto itself isn’t going away—it’s ‘veto-proof’. But when vetoes are cast in the face of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, obligations under international law and the UN Charter must be considered. Such veto uses have led to massive loss of life, displacement of millions, and the multilateral order pushed to a breaking point. The film, featuring leading global experts, puts aside ‘the impossibility of change’ and explores real paths to breaking the Security Council deadlock, and avoiding a third global conflict. This is an urgent film for global audiences — it’s an issue that truly affects us all.