The Ukrainian release of the animated film Paddington Bear, whose main character was dubbed by current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, will be screened at the children's "Ta-Dam" film festival in Holon during Passover as a tribute to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, the festival's organizers said on Tuesday.
The festival is set to take place in the children's cinematheque in Holon's Meditech and will include dozens of screenings of Israeli and international films, as well as meetings with children's stars, interactive workshops and children's activities.
Paddington Bear is an acclaimed family comedy that came out in 2014 based on a popular children's book series, The Adventures of Paddington Bear, by Michael Bond.
The Lev Cinema, who has the rights to the movie, requested that the French international distribution agency Studio Canal grant it permission to access the Ukrainian version in order to include it in the festival, the organizers said.
Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. In 2015 he starred in the television series Servant of the People, in which he played acted the character of a high-school history teacher in his 30s who won the presidential election after a viral video showed him ranting against government corruption in Ukraine.
