Join us on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, for a book reading and discussion with Olha Onyshko, author of the books LEGENDS OF WATER and SONG OF FREEDOM.

ABOUT DOCS READS

Docs Reads is a book presentation series by Docs In Progress, featuring works by documentary filmmakers and authors. Join us to explore books and engage in inspiring and provocative conversations.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

In Olha's new book, “Legends of Water: One day I asked Water to remind me of my roots...” readers will find a compilation of Ukrainian legends woven into a modern story about one woman and her mystical relationship with the powerful element of water. Once flowing through the city of Lions, the River was forced underground to accommodate increasing urbanization. Now, in the midst of a raging war, the Water of the River comes to the surface with its healing properties to assist the woman and her daughter.

Song of Freedom or How Wind Whisperers Saved Spring is based on the Ukrainian folklore from the Carpathian Mountains and is dedicated to the power of sound. Olha's imagination got captured by the mystical beings who know the secrets of the winds and can start a spark of a fire to bring Spring when time is ripe, and yet look like regular people. Can they bring Peace to the land? And if so, how? The book is bi-lingual and is two sided: One side is English and another - Ukrainian.

For the illustrations Olha employed female artists who had to flee the war In Ukraine. One is now in Kansas, another in Boston.

Both books are from the series Six Elements to bring Balance and Peace. They are for pre-teens but also for the adults to enjoy. Both are illustrated by the female artists who had to flee Ukraine because of the war. The books are for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olha Onyshko, a Bethesda based filmmaker has been working for the past few years on developing historical fantasy series with working title She Who Became Queen (pilot won Madrid International Film Festival Best Unproduced script). Olha immigrated from Ukraine to the area in 2002 and became known for her award-winning documentary films Women of Maidan and Three Stories of Galicia. While working on what she thought would be her next documentary project about the ancient Queen and Saint Olga of Kyiv, she became fascinated with the concept of Inner Light and the actual light as a remedy for healing. As a result, she wrote a pilot script and is developing a historical fantasy series with working title She Who Became Queen, wrote three fairy tales, two of which are published - Song of Freedom and Legends of Water (from a series of Six Elements for Healing and Peace to the soul and land) and created an intentional photo series Remedies of Light.

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