Witness

Ukraine’s Bravehearts: From filmmakers to war veterans

Two Ukrainian filmmakers join the army and find themselves caught between worlds.

This extraordinary story of two Ukrainian filmmakers who became soldiers spans the 2013 Maidan protests to the 2022 Russian invasion.

In 2014, they joined a voluntary battalion in eastern Ukraine that turns into a five-year full-time contract with the army.

After two years on the front line, a documentary they co-produced is nominated for an Oscar. Their commander grants them leave to travel to Hollywood.

One week later, they are back in the trenches.

Eventually, they return to civilian life where their filmmaking career takes them on a trip to Cannes. They find themselves plagued by flashbacks as they try to make sense of their experiences of both war and peace.

A film by Pavlo Peloshok and Yurko Ivanyshyn