Berezhna: Conflicts between State Film Agency and Dovzhenko Center resolved, but question of appointing director general remains open
Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna stated that the conflicts between the State Film Agency of Ukraine and the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Center have been resolved, but a decision is still being made regarding the appointment of the Center's director general.
"Last year's events demonstrated that the State Film Agency, the Ministry of Culture, and the Dovzhenko Center are working together. You saw the story about the information that surfaced online that the Dovzhenko Center, as always, was underfunded, and we very quickly held all the meetings and found the funds to ensure the facility could function properly," Berezhna said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, answering the question of whether the long-running conflict between the State Film Agency and the Oleksandt Dovzhenko National Center would be resolved.
She explained that the Ministry of Culture, together with the State Film Agency, is currently seeking ways to avoid the need for ad hoc funding and ensure that the Dovzhenko Center receives stable funding from the state budget.
"For example, they can keep 30% of the rent they earn. We can slightly restructure this process so that, on the one hand, they have more incentive to earn money, but on the other, they have less hope for some kind of state funding at the end of the year, which, in reality, is not such a constant and stable situation. Therefore, I would say that we have resolved the conflicts that previously existed between the State Film Agency and the Dovzhenko Center," the Deputy Prime Minister added.
Regarding the personnel issue, she said the competition was held in 2023, and a lot of time has passed.
"We're currently discussing how to ensure a fair decision. Even though the competition was legal, we're looking for ways to make it sustainable," Berezhna noted.
When asked to clarify whether it was possible to announce a new competition, she repeated that the process of finding a solution was currently underway.
