There are many ways to learn about Ukraine—through news, television programs, or books. However, there’s another approach: exploring Ukraine through a carefully curated selection of documentaries. This selection of films provides a deeper, more personal understanding of Ukraine and will surely leave a lasting impression. YBBP has compiled this list based on recommendations from Ukrainian-Canadian filmmaker and scholar Nataliya Bek-Gergard.
1. «The Earth Is Blue as an Orange» (Ukraine, Lithuania)
Year: 2020 | Duration: 1 hour 14 minutes
Director: Iryna Tsilyk
Produced by: Anna Kapustina, Giedrė Žickytė
Cinematograpy by: Vyacheslav Tsvetkov
Editing by: Ivan Bannikov, Iryna Tsilyk
Sound designer: Jonas Maksvytis
«The Earth Is Blue as an Orange» (2020), a unique documentary directed by Iryna Tsilyk, has received widespread international recognition. The film’s title is borrowed from a line by renowned surrealist poet Paul Éluard. Filmed between 2017 and 2019, it depicts life in war-torn areas such as Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka, and Kurakhove in the Donetsk region and Kyiv.
The documentary follows the story of a family living in the front-line «red zone» of Donbas, where war has been ongoing for several years. The central figure is 36-year-old Anna, a single mother raising her four children under constant shelling. Despite the horrors of war, the family remains resilient, optimistic, and united by a shared passion: creating their own films to document life during the war. For them, filmmaking becomes a means of transforming trauma into art, helping them preserve their humanity. The film explores how cinema can shape the perception of war and serve as a tool for coping with its horrors.
The film premiered on January 24, 2020, at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in the United States, where it won the Best Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary category. In Ukraine, «The Earth Is Blue as an Orange» debuted on April 24, 2020, at Docudays UA, an international documentary film festival focused on human rights, earning two awards in both national and international competitions. It was then released in Ukrainian cinemas on November 26, 2020.
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2. «Intercepted» (Ukraine, Canada, France)
Year: 2024 | Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes
Director and writer: Oksana Karpovych
Produced by: Giacomo Nudi, Rocio Barba Fuentes, Darya Bassel, Olga Beskhmelnytsina
Cinematography by: Christopher Nunn
Editing by: Charlotte Tourrès
Sound recordist: Artem Kosynskyi
The production of «Peaceful People» took nearly two years, from 2022 to 2024. Filming took place in Donbas, as well as in the Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Mykolaiv regions. The documentary focuses on the devastating aftermath of war: destroyed homes, blown-up bridges, and burned vehicles.
The film features real intercepted phone calls of Russian soldiers, recorded by Ukrainian intelligence during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, pairing authentic audio recordings with static visuals. In these conversations, invaders share their plans for conquest, boast about their «trophies,» and discuss war crimes they have committed with their relatives. The conversations, mostly with mothers, wives, and sisters, reveal how ordinary «peaceful people» often condone and even support the violence and atrocities committed by their loved ones.
The film director, Oksana Karpovych, was born in Kyiv and studied cultural studies at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. She has resided in Montreal for the past 11 years, where she graduated from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Karpovych spent three years as a program coordinator at the Docudays UA festival. In 2022, she took on the role of local producer, supporting foreign journalists in their coverage of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The world premiere of «Peaceful People» was held on February 17, 2024, as part of the Forum program at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. Later, on May 31, 2024, the film opened the 21st Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.
Awards:
- 2024 Special Mention by the Ecumenical Jury — Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
- 2024 Special Mention by the Amnesty International Jury — Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
- 2024 Special Mention — Hong Kong International Film Festival
- 2024 Silver Horn Award for a Film on Social Issues — Krakow Film Festival, Poland (Oksana Karpovych)
- 2024 FIPRESCI Prize for Best Documentary Film — Krakow Film Festival, Poland
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3. «Maidan» (Ukraine, Netherlands)
Year: 2014 | Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
Director and writer: Serhiy Loznitsa
Produced by: Serhiy Loznitsa, Maria Chustova-Baker
Cinematography by: Serhiy Loznitsa, Serhiy Stetsenko
The documentary «Maidan» (Dutch: Maidan) is a Ukrainian-Dutch co-production directed by Serhiy Loznitsa, dedicated to the events of the 2014 Euromaidan, commonly referred to as the Revolution of Dignity.
This film is a documentary chronicle of the revolutionary events in Ukraine during 2013-2014, capturing the protests against former President Viktor Yanukovych and his rejection of Ukraine’s aspirations for European integration.
The film captures the key moments of the revolution, from the start of peaceful protests on Kyiv’s Independence Square to the brutal clashes between protesters and security forces. Divided into four parts—«Prologue, ” «Celebration, ” «Combat actions, ” and «Postscriptum”—it portrays the pivotal stages of the revolutionary movement. Some footage for the film was provided by journalists from the Ukrainian service of «Radio Liberty», who filmed on Instytutska Street and from the Hotel «Ukraine».
Director Serhiy Loznitsa maintained a stance of strict neutrality, refraining from any commentary and presenting the Ukrainian people as the main protagonists. The film primarily features wide shots of Maidan and the surrounding streets, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions about the events.
The film had its world premiere on May 21, 2014, at a special screening as part of the official program of the 67th Cannes Film Festival, and was released in French cinemas just two days later.
The film «Maidan» received international recognition, winning the top prize at the 9th Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival on October 6, 2015.
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4. «Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom» (Ukraine, USA, UK)
Year: 2015 | Duration: 1 hour 38 minutes
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky
Writer: Den Tolmor
Produced by: Evgeny Afineevsky, Den Tolmor
Music by: Jasha Klebe
«Winter on Fire» captures the key events of the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, which unfolded over 93 days during the winter of 2013–2014.
The film offers a detailed depiction of the dramatic events on Kyiv’s Independence Square (Maidan) in 2013 when the violent dispersal of a peaceful student demonstration by the «Berkut» special forces sparked mass protests that eventually led to then-President Viktor Yanukovych fleeing the country. Director Evgeny Afineevsky and his team meticulously recorded testimonies from protesters, volunteers, medics, artists, clergy, and other participants in the revolution, representing a wide range of social backgrounds, nationalities, and religions. Among the interviewees was even a 12-year-old volunteer.
Notably, the film was shot by 28 amateur cinematographers, a detail that adds authenticity and realism to the documentary.
The film premiered on October 9 2015 on Netflix and was featured at various international festivals. In 2016 it was nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category.
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5. «Spell Your Name» (Ukraine, USA)
Year: 2006 | Duration: 1 hour 32 minutes
Director: Serhiy Bukovsky
Producer: Mykhailo Krupiyevskyi
Executive Producer: Steven Spielberg
Camera operators: Roman Yelenskyi, Volodymyr Kukorenchuk
Composer: Vadym Khrapachov
This documentary, directed by Serhiy Bukovsky, is a product of a Ukrainian-American collaboration. It is built around video testimonies of Holocaust survivors, collected in Ukraine by the Shoah Foundation. These are the memories of individuals who lived through the tragedy of 1941–1942.
Iryna Maksymiv from Ternopil is one of the central figures in the film. During the Holocaust, at just 11 years old, she witnessed her family’s extraordinary bravery as they hid 16 Jews in the cellar of their home, located on the grounds of a German headquarters, for nine months. This heroic act earned the Maksymiv family international recognition and the honorary title of Righteous Among the Nations. Iryna’s testimony was recorded in 1994 in Ternopil. Director Steven Spielberg, who conducted the interview, was deeply inspired by the courage and humanity of her family.
Serhiy Bukovsky is a prominent Ukrainian documentary filmmaker. Born on July 18, 1960, in Kyiv, he grew up in an artistic family—his father, Anatoliy Bukovsky, was a film director, and his mother was actress Nina Antonova. From 1982 to 1995, he worked at the «Ukrkinochronika» studio, creating documentaries that gained international acclaim and are now considered classics of Ukrainian documentary cinema.
Among his iconic works are «Forced March» (1985), «Tomorrow is a Holiday» (1987), «Dream» (1988), «The Roof» (1990), «Dislocation» (1992), «Dash Mark» (1992), «Landscape, Portrait, Still Life» (1993), «To Berlin!» (1995), and the widely acclaimed nine-part documentary series «War. The Ukrainian Account» (2003)
«Spell Your Name» is a testament to Bukovsky’s mastery as a director and his significant contribution to global documentary filmmaking.
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6. «Alive» (Ukraine, USA)
Year: 2008 | Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Director: Serhiy Bukovsky
Written by: Serhiy Bukovsky, Serhiy Trymbach
Cinematography by: Volodymyr Kukorenchuk, Pavlo Kazantsev
This historical documentary which weaves together two key storylines, was directed by Serhiy Bukovsky too. The first line presents the testimonies of nearly thirty Holodomor survivors, recounting their tragic experiences. The second focuses on the story of British journalist Gareth Jones, who was among the first to expose the scale of the Holodomor to the world. His efforts to reveal the truth led to his deportation from the Soviet Union.
The survivors of the Holodomor were just children when their families were stripped of everything. Farmers who worked the most fertile lands were condemned to starve to death, while those who survived were forced into labour. Only now are these survivors beginning to speak about their experiences. They recall how their parents struggled to survive while everything was taken from them, how entire villages were wiped out by hunger. One witness solemnly states, «It would have been better if we had never been born…»
The tragedy of the Holodomor is depicted within the broader context of global events in the 1930s: the Great Depression in the United States, Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, and Stalin’s brutal campaign against the peasantry. Ukrainian farmers, who fought to defend their right to private ownership, were forced to either surrender or die. By 1933, they had no choice left. Stalin’s goal was to eliminate national communism and suppress any expressions of independent national policy, which had been most strongly implemented in Ukraine during the 1920s, leading to ruthless repression.
Gareth Jones serves as a guide through the tragedy of the Holodomor. He tried to reveal the truth about the suffering of Ukrainians to the Western world, however, his testimony was ignored and many governments, though fully aware of the events, remained indifferent to the tragedy of the Ukrainian people. The testimonies of survivors are deeply intertwined with Jones’ records, made during his trip to Ukraine in March 1933
The film received high praise at international film festivals. It won the «Silver Apricot» Award at the Yerevan International Film Festival, the Grand Prix at the MEDIAS «North-South» International Forum in Geneva, and a Special Jury Prize at the Batumi International Art-House Film Festival in Georgia.
The film was also included in the official program of the Camerimage Film Festival in Łódź, Poland (November 28 — December 5, 2009), as well as the program of the «Thousand and One» International Film Festival in Istanbul, Turkey (December 2009).
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7. «Man with a Movie Camera» (Ukrainian SSR)
Year: 1929 | Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes
Director and writer: Dziga Vertov
Cinematography by: Mykhailo Kaufman
Composer: Michael Laurence Nyman
«Man with a Movie Camera» is an iconic Ukrainian Soviet silent documentary film directed by Dziga Vertov in 1929. Widely regarded as a key manifesto of global cinematic avant-garde, the film continues influencing filmmakers decades after its release. In 2014, the British Film Institute (BFI) named it the greatest documentary of all time, highlighting its unique contribution to the art of cinema.
The film was made without a traditional predefined script, following Dziga Vertov’s aesthetic vision. Vertov pioneered a range of groundbreaking cinematographic techniques, including slow motion, time-lapse, double exposure, freeze frames, and more, that laid the foundation for future generations of filmmakers. «Man with a Movie Camera» evolved into a methodological guide for filmmaking, demonstrating the potential of cinematic language for «pure depiction of life,» a concept central to the revolutionary art of its time.
Upon its release, the film faced harsh criticism from Soviet filmmakers, who argued that Vertov’s emphasis on form over content contradicted the artistic norms of the time. Western critics were also initially hesitant to recognize its significance.
Despite its early criticism, «Man with a Movie Camera» is now regarded as one of the most significant masterpieces in the history of world cinema.
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8. «20 Days in Mariupol» (Ukraine)
Year: 2023 | Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes
Director and writer: Mstyslav Chernov
Produced by: Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson, Derl McCrudden, Lindsey Schneider, Vasilisa Stepanenko
Cinematography by: Mstyslav Chernov
Composer: Jordan Dykstra
Music consultant: Brian McOmber
The film documents the siege of Mariupol by Russian forces in February and March 2022 during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was created by a Ukrainian team led by war correspondent and director Mstyslav Chernov, photojournalist Evgeniy Maloletka, Associated Press videographer, and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko.
Starting from February 24, 2022, the Associated Press team documented the devastating realities of Russia’s siege of Mariupol, including the humanitarian crisis, mass civilian burials, Russian war crimes, and the work of medical personnel. They were the first to report the catastrophic bombing of Maternity Hospital No. 3 to the world. Footage was sent to the AP newsroom from the only place in Mariupol with internet access—a spot beneath the stairs of a damaged store. In this way, only 10% of their recorded material was transmitted. The remaining 30 hours of footage were safely transported on March 15 through a humanitarian corridor. By then, they were the last remaining journalists in the city.
The film was created in 2023 through Associated Press and Frontline collaboration. It premiered on January 21, 2023, at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was featured in the «World Cinema Documentary» program and won the Audience Award.
In 2024, the film received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, becoming the first Ukrainian film to receive this prestigious honour. Overall, «20 Days in Mariupol» earned more than 20 awards and 40 nominations.
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9. «Iron Butterflies» (Ukraine, Germany)
Year: 2023 | Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes
Director: Roman Liubyi
Writen by: Roman Liubyi, Mila Zhluktenko
Produced by: Andrii Kotliar, Volodymyr Tykhyi, David Armaty Lechner, Isabelle Bertolon, Trini Götze, Anna Zobnina
Cinematography by: Andrii Kotliar
Music by: Anton Baibakov, Oleksandra Morozova
The film depicts the events of 2014 when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down by a missile launched from a Russian Buk surface-to-air system. All 298 people on board lost their lives. The leaders of the so-called «DPR,» a terrorist organization supported by Russia, granted international experts access to the crash site only two weeks after the tragedy.
One of the key pieces of evidence is butterfly-shaped shrapnel found in the body of the plane’s pilot, which confirms that the aircraft was shot down by a missile launched from a Russian Buk system. This evidence points to Russia’s responsibility for this war crime.
«Iron Butterflies» is the second feature-length film by director Roman Liubyi. It is created by
blending archival footage from Ukrainian soldiers’ mobile phones and cameras, clips from television broadcasts, interviews, documentary observations, extracts from investigations, and recordings of intercepted conversations between Russian military personnel.
The world premiere of «Iron Butterflies» was at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States and its European premiere—at the Berlin International Film Festival. In Ukraine, the film debuted at the Docudays UA festival, winning the top award in the «Right Now!» competition.
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10. «Between Hitler and Stalin: Ukraine in World War II — The Untold Story» (Ukraine)
Year: 2004 | Duration: 58 minutes
Director: Sviatoslav Novytskyi
This documentary pays tribute to all those who fought for Ukraine’s freedom, with a special dedication to the ten million Ukrainians who died during the war, the countless victims of communist repression, and the 2.5 million forced labourers (Ostarbeiters).
«Between Hitler and Stalin: Ukraine in World War II — The Untold Story» delves into Ukraine’s fate during World War II, using archival materials, including photographs, video recordings, and classified documents. The film was directed by Sviatoslav Novytskyi, an American filmmaker of Ukrainian descent, who spent several months gathering materials for the project. It is based on newly discovered archival records and firsthand eyewitness testimonies.
The film examines key events of World War II and Ukraine’s role through insights from renowned Western experts, including Zbigniew Brzezinski, Norman Davies, Robert Conquest, and John Armstrong. The English-language version of the film is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance, a celebrated artist of Ukrainian heritage.
The English-language version of «Between Hitler and Stalin: Ukraine in World War II» premiered in September 2003 in Toronto. The film received awards at the New York Film and Video Competition and was showcased at the International Documentary Film Festival in Stockholm.
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