Film screening: Rock Paper Grenade (2022), directed by Iryna Tsilyk, produced by Vladimir Yatsenko and Anna Yatsenko

October 23, 2026 | 3:00PM - 5:30PM

Location | Robarts Theatre (Room RL 3-025), 130 St George St, Toronto, ON

Rock. Paper. Grenade. (Ya i Feliks) is Iryna Tsilyk's narrative feature film debut, a poignant coming-of-age story set in 1990s Ukraine, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Based on the novel Who Am I? by Ukrainian writer (and Iryna’s husband) Artem Chekh, the film follows young Tymofii as he navigates adolescence amid the uncertainties of a rapidly changing society. At the heart of the story is his unlikely friendship with Felix, a troubled but charismatic veteran of the Afghan war, who has PTSD and loves music. His presence profoundly shapes the boy's understanding of adulthood. Rich in humour, nostalgia, and emotional insight, the film captures a formative moment in Ukraine's history while offering a deeply human portrait of memory, friendship, and growing up.

About the director

Iryna Tsilyk is an acclaimed Ukrainian filmmaker, writer, and screenwriter whose work explores resilience, memory, and the human experience in times of upheaval. Internationally recognized for her award-winning documentary The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (2020), she received the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Her films are known for their emotional depth, poetic storytelling, and compassionate portrayal of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Through both documentary and fiction, Iryna Tsilyk has become one of the most distinctive contemporary voices in Ukrainian cinema.  

Co-sponsors:

Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine, Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, University of Toronto

Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, University of Toronto

Danylo Husar Struk Program in Ukrainian Literature, CIUS, University of Alberta

Attend in-person

Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES), Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine, Europe & Eurasia, Human rights & justice, Conflict & security

munkschool.centres@utoronto.ca

Speakers

Iryna Tsilyk – Filmmaker and writer, Kyiv, Ukraine

Karolina Koziura – Petro Jacyk Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for European and Eurasian Studies

Taras Koznarsky – Associate Professor, Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, University of Toronto