OTTAWA, ON, October 21, 2026 — Distance to Independence, a Ukrainian-Canadian documentary about the role of the North Americans in Ukraine’s historic 1991 independence movement, will launch a national Canadian tour on Nov.16, 2026, in Ottawa.
On Dec. 1, 1991, more than 90 per cent of Ukrainians voted in favour of independence. The following day, Canada became the first Western country to formally recognize an independent Ukraine.
Thirty-five years later, the story carries renewed significance as Ukraine continues to defend its sovereignty and independence against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The Canadian tour will coincide with the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s December 1, 1991 independence referendum and Canada’s historic recognition of Ukraine’s independence.
The screening schedule includes: Nov.16 — Ottawa and Vancouver, Nov. 17 — Montreal, Nov. 18 — Toronto, Nov. 19 — Winnipeg, Nov. 22 — Saskatoon, Nov. 23 — Edmonton, Nov. 24 — Calgary. Tickets and more information are available at dtifilm.com/canada.
At the heart of Distance to Independence is a little-known chapter of Ukrainian-Canadian history.
Following Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence on August 24, 1991, approximately 80 young Canadians and Americans of Ukrainian descent travelled to Ukraine. Over the pivotal 99 days leading up to the December 1 referendum, they crossed the country speaking with students, professors, miners, workers and local communities about independence, democracy and the future of the Ukrainian state.
Their work took them beyond Kyiv and western Ukraine to the country’s East and South, including Donetsk and Mariupol, where support for leaving the Soviet Union was far from guaranteed.
The activists brought printing equipment from Canada, distributed leaflets and informational materials, and spoke directly with citizens about the case for independence. They also produced television advertisements supporting independence that aired in Ukraine ahead of the referendum.
One of the organizers of the campaign was Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a Canadian businessman and community leader who later served four terms as Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre.
During his travels in Ukraine in 1991, Wrzesnewskyj documented events on a handy camera. More than three decades later, those recordings became an important part of the documentary.
The filmmakers gained access to approximately 20 videotapes, which were digitized in Toronto in 2026. The footage captures Ukraine during the final months of the Soviet Union and offers a rare firsthand view of a moment when the country’s political future remained uncertain.
The documentary was created by two production teams working in Ukraine and Canada. The Canadian tour will be accompanied by Anna Palenchuk, the film’s producer, who coordinated filming in Canada, and Akim Galimov, Ukrainian journalist, founder of the Real History (Реальна історія) project, and co-producer of the documentary. Both will attend the screenings and participate in post-screening Q&A sessions, giving audiences an opportunity to learn more about the making of the documentary and the historical events it explores.
“For me, as a producer of Distance to Independence, it was important to tell the story of Ukraine’s path to independence through documentary cinema — through real people, personal stories and lived experience. Thirty-five years later, we can see that independence is not simply a chapter from the past. Ukraine is once again being forced to fight for it,” said Anna Palenchuk, producer of the film.
For Canadian audiences, the documentary also offers a lens into Canada’s longstanding relationship with Ukraine. Today, Canada remains an important political, security and humanitarian partner to Ukraine.
Distance to Independence has already received a theatrical release in Ukraine.
The production of Distance to Independence was made possible through the generous financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, the Shevchenko Foundation (Ukrainian Canadian Veterans’ Fund), Huculak Foundation, the UNF Foundation.
