Ukraine to upgrade bill on use of English language in field of cinema

MOSCOW. July 4 (Interfax) - A bill on the use of the English language, initiated by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, will be upgraded, in particular, in the field of cinema and dubbing, deputy head of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy and the Servant of the People faction Yevgeniya Kravchuk said.

"There are issues to be finalized, including the use of the language in movie theaters. [...] Obviously, [the bill] will be edited in the field of cinema and dubbing. Indeed, this is what has sparked the biggest disputes," Ukrainian media quoted Kravchuk as saying in a national telethon on Monday.

The primary objective of the presidential bill is "an opportunity of integration with the civilized space," she said.

"This bill will allow all of us to integrate with the business world, the cultural space and tourism. It is about opportunities and, even less, about limitations," Kravchuk said.

Zelensky submitted a bill, which defines English as the language of international communication in Ukraine and promotes learning of the English language by Ukrainian citizens, to the Verkhovna Rada on June 28.

The bill says, in particular, that the norm by which films will be screened in the original language with Ukrainian subtitles will be introduced gradually from 2025 to 2027.

The Language Unites civic community demands that all changes introduced by the bill on the use of the English language in Ukraine be scrapped in the field of cinema and television.

State Language Commissioner Taras Kremen said that the provision of information to Ukrainian citizens in a language other than the state one is a violation of their rights.

In turn, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Development of Education, Science and Technology, Digital Transformation Minister Mikhail Fedorov said that the gradual shift to screening films without dubbing in the Ukrainian language would help develop the Ukrainian film industry.