UKRANIAN filmmaker Anastasiya Gruba has spent six weeks in Northern Ireland as part of a UK-wide British Council residency programme supporting artists affected by conflict.
Hosted by Ulster University in partnership with the Belfast Film Festival, the residency gave her space to reflect and engage with the local film community. She is one of nine artists from Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine and Ukraine taking part in residencies at leading cultural institutions across the UK.
Anastasiya’s work spans both short films and feature-length projects, beginning with her debut short, Driving Lessons, which explores life in wartime Kyiv and enjoyed a strong festival run. She is currently developing her first feature, the tragicomic Women Suicide Season, which examines themes of confusion, loneliness and responsibility.
Looking back on her arrival in Belfast, Anastasiya described it as “an intensely difficult period” of her life. Based in Kyiv, she had arrived after a time of upheaval shaped in part by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
She said: “I felt emotionally drained and devastated. My boyfriend had just joined the army, marking the start of a difficult new chapter filled with loneliness and anxiety. This coincided with being burnt out at work, leaving me feeling completely lost and overwhelmed. This residency has helped me understand my priorities and clear space and time for something important.
“Even though this city is so far from my Kyiv, it somehow reminded me of home - perhaps because it breathes both joy and sadness at the same time, possessing a depth that’s hard to put into words. I also felt a certain sincerity in conversations with the local people, a warmth that felt like home. And, of course, Northern Irish irony, sarcasm, and humour are very similar to Ukrainian. I’m not the first to notice this. I think it stems from certain parallels in our histories.”
During her stay, Gruba explored Northern Ireland’s landscapes, including visiting the Giant’s Causeway, walking along the cliffs at Dunseverick, and spending time on the beaches at Portstewart. “Portstewart was my favourite spot,” she said. “We were there during the blue hour, and it was such a beautiful view. I really like walking through the long grass hills and along the beach. Being so close to the water, feeling the wind, seeing the open space - it helped me calm down and recharge. Even short moments outside like this make such a difference to how I feel.”
However, the ongoing war remained a constant presence in her thoughts, giving her a chance to contemplate on the resilience of people back home.
She said: “My mind is constantly drawn back there. For me, it’s much more terrifying to experience an air raid in Ukraine while being abroad. A part of you is always there, trying to grasp what’s happening and whether your family and friends are safe. It’s impossible to truly relax.
“Though life in Ukraine goes on. People wake up, go to work, drink coffee, meet with loved ones, even after exhausting rocket attacks at night. Normal life continues in extraordinary circumstances. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so impressed and inspired by Ukrainians.”
As she prepares to return to Kyiv, she reflects on what she will take home from her residency.
She said: “I feel repaired somehow. I will bring new ideas and reflections on my work and life. I want to continue building my creative process at home, organise my work better, and make space for what is important to me. I also hope to continue the cultural connections I have made here, maybe even hosting Ukrainian film screenings in Northern Ireland in the future. This experience has reminded me that creativity and life persist, even in difficult circumstances.
“I want to carry this sense of calm with me and return to my morning rituals: a hot bath, a cup of coffee made for myself, and a good book. But I also feel a new-found excitement to embark on the search for my own personal approach to storytelling. All of this is thanks to my 'reset' in Belfast. Northern Ireland has truly brought me back to myself. Diakuyu!”
Also speaking about the residency, Colm McGivern, Director British Council Northern Ireland, added: “During my time working as Director Ukraine, I saw first-hand how profoundly the full-scale invasion disrupted the lives and livelihoods of artists. Overnight, people who were building ambitious creative careers found themselves displaced, cut off from resources, or creating work in the midst of trauma and uncertainty. What stayed with me was their determination to keep going - to keep telling stories, even in the darkest of circumstances.
“Programmes like this residency matter because they give artists the breathing space they’re so often denied. Belfast is a city that understands the long shadow of conflict, and it offers a community that knows how creativity can survive and even flourish under strain. Supporting Anastasiya here is part of our wider commitment to keeping those cultural connections strong at a time when they are urgently needed.”
The residency builds on a successful pilot held in Scotland in 2023 during the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture, delivered by the British Council in partnership with Creative Scotland and the Ukrainian Institute.
The British Council’s residency programme continues to foster trust and understanding between people in the UK and around the world through arts, education, and language. For more information on the programme, visit: https://arts.britishcouncil.org/projects/artist-residency-programme or follow British Council Northern Ireland on X, Facebook, or Instagram.