On April 30, 2026 the New York City Bar Association hosted a pre-release screening of "Soul Arbitration" by Sophia Romma, a powerful documentary exploring the Ukrainian refugee crisis and illuminating the devastating impact of the current war on women and children who are now refugees in Estonia.
Through an intimate tapestry of oral histories and personal narratives, the film illuminates stark realities of the conflict: shattered families, egregious human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Its challenge to the legal minds in the audience: does the law serve as a sanctuary, or is it merely an archive of what was lost? And how can practitioners of international law reinforce the structures of justice so that they are as resilient as the souls they are meant to protect?
The unreleased film is a project of Sharp Frame Docs Productions, LLC, which specializes in documentaries on themes of identity, resilience, migration, memory and survival.
Through oral histories and personal narratives, the film unveils the stark realities of conflict: shattered families, abducted children subjected to indoctrination, and the silent suffering of prisoners of war. It confronts egregious human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, while probing the moral paradoxes of sovereignty, profit from war, and the tragic loss of innocent lives—including young soldiers on both sides.
The refugees got to Estonia on an ocean liner. Romma interviewed women who took refuge in Talinn from Ukraine. The project was funded by an Estonian arts agency. The women's voices and faces were disguised using AI to camouflage their identities.
The audience, like me, was in shock after the film.
The Leitner Center for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School will host a special screening of the documentary Soul Arbitration, directed by Sophia Romma, followed by a panel discussion examining the legal and humanitarian dimensions of the atrocities of the war in Ukraine on Tuesday, April 28th.
The event brings together a global coalition of legal and arts organizations to spotlight the devastating human cost of the conflict and the role of international law in addressing modern war crimes.
Soul Arbitration offers a powerful and intimate portrayal of the lives of women and children displaced by the violence and systemic atrocities in Ukraine. Through firsthand testimony, the film documents stories of survival, separation, and resilience, shedding light on the urgent humanitarian crisis and the legal challenges facing refugees.
Following the screening, Sophia Romma will be joined by distinguished experts in international humanitarian and human rights law for a panel discussion exploring the film’s themes. Grounded in the project’s concept of the “Logic of the Eye,” the conversation will analyze the evidentiary power of visual testimony in documenting war-time atrocities and shaping legal and moral accountability.
Join our panel of legal and policy experts as they examine the historical and constitutional foundations of birthright citizenship in the United States. The 1856 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision denied African Americans citizenship and reinforced systemic injustice—and a legacy that was only overturned with the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868. That amendment guarantees citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., and yet proposals to eliminate birthright citizenship continue to surface. This panel explores the legal history, the enduring impact of Dred Scott, and the critical importance of safeguarding the rights enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
Opening Remarks: Prof. Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, United Nations Committee, Chair
Moderator: Yveline Dalmacy, United Nations Committee, Secretary
Keynote Speakers: Adriennette Williams, Founding Board Member of the George Floyd Foundation, Fmr. Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Special Hagan, Law Offices of Special Hagan
Speakers: Adriennette Williams, Founding Board Member of the George Floyd Foundation, Fmr. Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Special Hagan, Law Offices of Special Hagan Prof. Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, Chair, United Nations Committee & International Human Rights Attorney Dr. Ugoji Adanma Eze, Barrister & Human Rights and Constitutional Law Committee, Chair, African Bar Association Barbara Horn, Representative, United Nations, Athletes United for Peace Olufemi J. S. Oladejo, Distinguished Gender-SDGs advocate in Africa Dr. Fatih Balci, Adjunct Professor, Montclair State University; Political Scientist, Comparative Politics & International Security Specialist
Sponsoring Committee: United Nations, Sophia Murashkovsky, Chair
Co-Sponsoring Committees: European Affairs, Katherine Gonzalez and Rafael Carmona, Co-Chairs African Affairs, Melissa Verpile, Chair Inter-American Affairs, Alexis J. Colon and Jose Enrique Arvelo, Co-Chairs Council on International Affairs, Margaret E. McGuinness, Chair Vance Center for International Justice, Lorraine McGowen and Werner F. Ahlers, Co-Chairs
Co-Sponsoring Organizations: Garden of the Avant-Garde Film and Theatrical Foundation, Inc. Littler Law Firm
Both at home and abroad the rule of law and the judiciary are facing unprecedented attacks. These attacks on the independence of the judiciary have sparked an alarming rise in threats against judges and their families, with women judges in particular facing heightened risks of physical violence and intimidation. Join us as we honor the women judges who continue to uphold justice for all, demonstrating courage, integrity, and unwavering commitment, regardless of who appointed them or how their rulings are received.
Opening Remarks:
Muhammad U. Faridi, President, New York City Bar Association
Keynote Speaker:
The Honorable Esther Salas, United States District Court Judge
Speakers:
Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, Chair, United Nations Committee
Catherine van Kampen, Program Chair, United Nations Committee
Preethi Krishnamurthy, Partner, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP
Stephanie Amin-Giwner, Director of Client Services, Epiq Class Action & Claims Solutions
Liz Lambert, Senior Managing Director, The Huntington National Bank
Moderator:
The Honorable Linda Strite Murnane, Colonel, USAF, Ret., Retired Associate Justice, High Court, Republic of the Marshall IslandsPanelists:
Honorable Ayala Henderson, Chief Judge, San Manuel Tribal Court
Honorable Michelle Rick, Justice, Michigan Court of Appeals
Honorable Pamela Washington, President, National Association of Women Judges
Sponsoring Committee:
United Nations, Sophia Murashkovsky, Chair
Co-Sponsoring Committees:
The Council on International Affairs, Margaret E. McGuinness, Chair
European Affairs Committee, Katherine Gonzalez and Rafael Carmona, Co-Chairs
African Affairs Committee, Melissa Marie Verpile, Chair
Task Force on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges, Mathew Diller, Chair
Business & Human Rights Committee, Isabelle Glimcher and Isedua Oribhabor, Co-Chairs
Federal Courts Committee, Jonathan New, Chair
Judiciary Committee, Danielle C. Lesser, Chair
Council on Judicial Administration, James P. Chou, Chair
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Rights Committee, Hayley Gorenberg and Jared M. Trujillo, Co-Chairs
Litigation Committee, Cassandra L. Porsch, Chair
Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, Jerome Walker, Lorraine McGowen and Tiffany J. Smith, Co-Chairs
Pro Bono & Legal Services Committee, Dara L. Sheinfeld and Hamra Ahmad, Co-Chairs
Professional Responsibility Committee, Kristie Blase, Chair
Sex & Law Committee, Natalie R. Birnbaum and Susan E. Cersovsky, Co-Chairs
Vance Center for International Justice Committee, Lorraine McGowen and Werner F. Ahlers, Co-Chairs
Women in the Legal Profession Committee, Francesca Fulchignoni and Tracy A. Burnett, Co-Chairs
Co-sponsoring Organizations:
American Bar Association
Female Advocacy Foundation International
Garden of the Avant-Garde Film Productions, Inc.
New Jersey State Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
International Caribbean Women Alliance for Empowerment (ICWAE)
Women in Securities Litigation Network
2026 Honorees
Christine A. Amalfe
Paulette Brown
Tarana Burke
Yolanthe Cabau
A. Nikki Borchardt Campbell
Professor Phyllis Chesler
Yveline L. Dalmacy
Cecilie Fjellhøy
Fatima Goss Graves
Honorable Yvette A. Ayala Henderson
Lauren Hersh
Brianne Joseph
Tatiana Kotlyarenko
Robin Morgan
Sonia Ossorio
Monica Ramirez
Anne K. Ream
Honorable Michelle Rick
Professor Sophia Murashkovsky Romma
Honorable Esther Salas
Lucy Simpson
Mary Smith
Kathleen Marie Sweet
Honorable Brenda Toineeta-Pipestem
Yasmin Vafa
Ambassador Melanne Verveer
Honorable Pamela Washington
Lissa Yellowbird-Chase
Thank you to our sponsors!
Sharp Frame Docs Productions, LLC officially launches as a new documentary film company dedicated to exploring the psychological, political, and human dimensions of contemporary conflict and global injustice.
Founded by Professor Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, Ph.D., Esq., Sharp Frame Docs emerges at the intersection of cinema, human rights, and lived experience—committed to producing films that do not merely document reality, but interrogate it.
This launch marks an expansion of ongoing creative work previously developed under Garden of the Avant-Garde, now evolving into a focused cinematic production platform with an international scope.
At the core of Sharp Frame Docs is a commitment to stories that exist in the aftermath—where trauma lingers, identities fracture, and resilience quietly takes root. The company’s current projects include documentary works examining war, displacement, and the enduring psychological imprint of violence across generations.
The forthcoming film When the Fang Becomes the Wound exemplifies this vision—offering an unflinching portrayal of the mirrored lives of Israeli reservists and IDF soldiers alongside Palestinian families and combatants, revealing trauma as a shared and borderless condition.
Sharp Frame Docs Productions seeks not only to tell stories, but to open a space for dialogue—bridging divides between nations, communities, and lived realities through the language of cinema.
From Garden of the Avant-Garde to Sharp Frame Docs
This new chapter builds upon the intellectual and artistic foundation of Garden of the Avant-Garde, expanding its scope into dedicated documentary production.
Visitors are invited to explore ongoing projects, collaborations, and upcoming screenings through Sharp Frame Docs: https://sharpframedocs.com/
Congratulations to Professor Sophia Romma, Ph.D., Esq.; International Human Rights Lawyer; Documentary Filmmaker, and Chair, United Nations Committee, New York City Bar Association, for being honored with a 2026 Huntington Her Hero Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York City Bar Association during the International Law Conference on the Status of Women on the International Day of Women Judges, sponsored by Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, Huntington National Bank, and Epiq.
At the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations with Ambassador Yuri A. Gala Lopez and Members of the United Nations Committee of the NYCBA.
An opening reception for Shimon Okshteyn: The Artist Estate / Part 2, Timeless Style Exhibition at the Black and White Gallery in Southampton took place on Saturday, June 7th.
Featuring twenty-nine artworks from 1984 to 2000, the exhibition presents a suite of sculpture, collage, print, installation, and especially painting produced by Shimon Okshteyn. This period marks a pivotal moment in his career, when he moved away from a French-inspired academic approach to expressionism and began developing a complex body of work in diverse mediums. These works are unified by visual motifs that recurred throughout his four decades of artmaking.
With loans from private collections and works from the artist’s estate—many of which are being presented to the public for the first time—the exhibition offers a deeper exploration of Okshteyn’s practice. It provides a well-rounded portrait of the artist, his work, and his enduring legacy.
