At the heart of European diplomacy

Zelenskyy: Spirit of Ukraine

On February 24th, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has since killed thousands, displaced millions and destroyed entire cities. Despite international appeals for Volodymyr Zelensky, and his family, to be evacuated to a safe location during the opening days of the invasion, the 44-year-old president stayed in Kyiv with his defence forces. It's hard to imagine how this bright, comedic, family man, has ended up in one of the most dangerous positions in the world, with a giant target on his back. 10 months on, and still fighting from the ground, Zelensky has been named TIME Person of the Year 2022. With comparisons to Winston Churchill, as a war time leader, his impact is undeniable. Utilising his acting skills he is embodying everything it means to have the spirit of Ukraine.

Checkpoint Zoo

Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers, who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

Year. Kharkiv Region.

Dmytro Komarov's documentary project The Year. Kharkiv Region. Dmytro Komarov will show Kharkiv in the first months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. Viewers will hear the stories of people who found themselves in the epicentre of the brutal attacks: at the air defence base destroyed by a Russian missile, in the residential area of the city - Northern Saltivka - which was ravaged by shelling. The journalist will talk to those who played a key role in the liberation of the Kharkiv region. One of these people is Roman Hryshchuk, the commander of the 127th separate territorial defence brigade of Ukraine. He told us how the military practice of the past - using decoys in the form of dummies - helped to identify and destroy the occupiers. How did the full-scale war begin for Kharkiv? What plans did the enemy have for Kharkiv? What united people and gave them hope in the most difficult times? Find out in the documentary project "Year. Kharkiv Region".

Once upon a time in Ukraine

Whilst the first shots ring out between pro-Russian government forces and members of the opposition in the winter of 2013, young Nina leaves Crimea. She was raped by a corrupt policeman, her friend was killed, and now she seeks refuge with the protesters on Maidan Square. Revolutionary chaos prevails, and it‘s not at all clear who remains loyal to whom and which means can be regarded as legitimate in the struggle for freedom. Ultimately Nina and her tormentors come face to face again and the spiral of violence is stepped up a further notch. The film was shot to a genuine backdrop, the result of which is a multifaceted allegory on the tragedy currently playing out in the Ukraine.

The Way of Generations

Thi is the story of a Kyiv boy who lives his life believing that the problems of his country do not interest him. However, everything changes when he meets in a dream a Ukrainian warrior who comes to Nazar from the last century. Or maybe it was not a dream?

As the Sunflower Whispers

As the Russian invasion begins, a dedicated group from Huntington, West Virginia-teachers, students, and community members united as MUkraine-embarks on a mission to share the untold stories of Ukrainian refugees. Through a powerful podcast featuring untold stories, including interviews with front-line workers, journalists, and families directly impacted by the war, they bring the realities of the conflict to life and give a voice to those affected.

Grandmother Told Grandmother

The little-known story of Ukrainian children torn from their homes in the crush between the Nazi and Soviet fronts in World War II. Spending their childhood as refugees in Europe, these inspiring individuals later immigrated to the United States, creating new homes and communities through their grit, faith and deep belief in the importance of preserving culture.

Iron Butterflies

This lesson in political revelation focuses on the shooting down of the Malaysian passenger jet MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. A meticulous, investigative exposé that lays bare the mechanisms of Russian warfare.

After the Rain: Putin's Stolen Children Come Home

Deep in a forest by the Baltic Sea, a group of Ukrainian families come together to start the healing process with the help of golden retrievers and palamino horses at an animal therapy retreat. In the safety of the forest, the children’s memories of being illegally deported to Russia and their families’ struggles to rescue them are unraveled with the help of skilled and sensitive counsellors. The joy and humour the children discover during their time in the forest make it easy to forget that their stories are the reason the International Criminal Court recently issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. Nearly 20,000 abducted children remain in Russian institutions.

Long Echo

Dobropolye is a town located in Eastern Ukraine: 70 km from the border where conflicts with the breakaway republics are raging on and people feel always like being on the verge of total war. The sheer uncertainty about the future pushes folks to cling on to their daily habits while trying to get along with the ever-shifting political landscape. A wide array of wildly diversified characters try to cope as good as they can with the hardships in their town. A death metal band keeps rehearsing daily. A teacher guides visitors through the story of the city. The wonders of a vibrating armchair are tested as a tool against stress and anxiety. An elderly lady who has lost her son tries to talk some sense into her fellow citizens urging them to accept peace.

The Nightingale Sings

The movie explores the origin of the Ukrainian language and persecution of those who defended its authenticity. Using examples of other countries, creators of the film prove that a nation cannot exist without a language.

Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World

New York City's beloved Ukrainian restaurant Veselka is best known for its borscht and varenyky, but it has become a beacon of hope for Ukraine. As the second-generation owner Tom Birchard reluctantly retires after 54 years, his son Jason faces the pressures of stepping into his father’s shoes as the war in Ukraine impacts his family and staff.

Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine

BREAKING POINT: The War for Democracy in Ukraine looks at people transformed by a democratic revolution, who give up their normal lives to fight a Russian invasion, in a war which has killed 10,000 and displaced 1.9 million Ukrainians.

20 Days in Mariupol

As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.

WORLD WAR CYBER

In 2022 Ukraine has become the proving ground for an arsenal of contemporary cyber warfare techniques from mobile applications, drones and satellites to bringing forth a shift in the economy of war through cryptocurrency. With civilians playing an active role in this war and enlisting in the so-called digital army, we have entered a gray zone of what constitutes a civilian and an active combatant. The “cyberwar” in Ukraine hasn‘t always been front and center in the news, but it‘s one of the things that might directly impact the West and the nature of future conflicts.