University News Last updated 12 May
A Birmingham City University (BCU) student has been shortlisted for the prestigious Charles Parker Award for her documentary about a British-Ukrainian couple with a unique language barrier.
Kseniia Yaktuina (pictured), a third-year student, was nominated for her piece called No words, just love, which she made as part of her BA Journalism studies.
She tells the story of Olesya, who came to the UK after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Oleysa and Stuart met soon after her move, they fell in love and married, despite neither of them speaking the same language!
“The documentary gave me the opportunity to explore the challenges of intercultural relationships in depth through audio storytelling,” said Kseniia.
“This piece explores the love story between Olesya and Stuart and how their relationship works in practice, from everyday communication to humour and conflict.
“It was an inspiring experience to follow their journey and bring their story to life.
“I hope to pursue a career in broadcast journalism after graduating, and this project has given me valuable experience in both production and presenting.”
The documentary was produced during her second year in a Radio Documentary and Podcast Production module.
“This documentary is a testament to Charles Parker’s legacy,” said Neil Hollins, Senior Lecturer in Radio Production.
“He pioneered the approach in the 1950s by using ordinary people’s voices to tell the story of their lives without the obstruction of an interviewer.
“Kseniia’s ability to communicate with people and get them to talk so freely about their lives and interests comes across strongly in this piece.
“I’m immensely proud of Kseniia and so pleased to lead a module that encourages students to tell stories through sound alone.
“In such a hyper visualised media world, there’s something very pure and special about that.”