Klassiki Picks is our new series of curated watchlists personally selected for our subscribers by celebrated filmmakers, writers, and actors. We’re delighted to welcome Olia Hercules to the hot seat for the this latest edition. Olia is a chef, writer, and activist who has brought the cuisine of her native Ukraine – as well as the Caucasus and Eastern Europe more broadly – to the world in her acclaimed cookbooks, which include Mamushka: Recipes From Ukraine & Beyond (2015), Kaukasis: The Cookbook – A Journey Through the Wild East (2017), Summer Kitchens Inside Ukraine’s Hidden Places of Cooking and Sanctuary (2020) and most recently Home Food (2022). In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hercules and Russian chef Alissa Timoshkina established the #CookForUkraine social media initiative, which has since raised over two million pounds for UNICEF, Legacy Of War Foundation, and Choose Love. Olia’s selection for Klassiki Picks offers viewers a tour of Ukrainian cinematic history, including a number of award-winning recent titles. Available to Klassiki subscribers from 14 December 2023 - 4 January 2024.