Episode 12: Diaspora in the Hot Seat

In this special episode, displaced filmmaker Olia Byrledianu (War Tails) guests hosts and puts our usual host Sabrina Rani-Kiperchuk Furminger in the hot seat for a conversation about diaspora identity, storytelling as resistance, the persecution of Ukrainians in Canada, her family’s legacy of Ukrainian community activism, and why Kiperchuk suddenly appeared in her name. Says Sabrina: “You’ve heard the name of today’s guest host at the end of every single episode of the Ukrainian Roots Podcast / Подкаст «Українське коріння» to date: our ever-vigilant consultant Oli Byrledianu. And what I mean when I describe her as an ‘ever-vigilant consultant’ is that she’s my enthusiastic sounding board for episode ideas and topics. This episode is one that Oli has wanted to do ever since I’d mentioned that I wanted to do a podcast to build that bridge between diaspora Ukrainians, displaced Ukrainians, and Ukrainians in Ukraine. Spoiler alert: bridges were built; songs were sung; laughter was had; tears were shed.”