For several years now, director Tetiana Khodakivska has been working on the documentary film The Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole, which explores propaganda and the experiences of Ukrainian children and teenagers who returned from Russian “re-education” camps. Over the course of this project, Tetiana and her team have worked with 72 children who were repatriated after being deported, forcibly relocated, or living under occupation.
The project creates a unique platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together academic institutions and contemporary art (with artist Alevtyna Kakhidze as the film’s art director). The film team collaborates with organizations involved in the repatriation and care of children – including Save Ukraine and the Ukrainian Child Rights Network – human rights defenders. The project also includes documentation of war crimes, advocacy for the repatriation of Ukrainian children, and efforts to protect and support the dignity and well-being of those children. It is implemented in partnership with the human rights organization Terre des Hommes (Germany) and the Divchata NGO (Ukraine).
Internationally, the project has been recognized during both the development and production phases. It has been included in international co-production programs involving four countries, received support from national film funds, and has been highlighted by prestigious institutions such as the Sundance Institute, the European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films (ESFUF), Cannes Docs Marché du Film, CPH:DOX, the Harriman Institute at Columbia University (academic partner), International Media Support (IMS), and Razom for Ukraine (advocacy campaign partner).
Participant(s):
Tetiana Khodakivska
Tetiana Khodakivska will share practical advice and tools for documentary filmmakers, producers, journalists, and anyone working with children in complex or high-risk contexts during this workshop.Topics will include: how and where to prepare yourself and your team for filming with children who may have experienced trauma; why child safety is not just a duty but also a strategic advantage; what permissions and protocols are needed and what broadcasters and distributors ask for; the legal and ethical pitfalls to watch out for; how to find the right partners who will support rather than jeopardize your project’s funding; and practical exercises for working with children and film crews in emergency situations.
Tetiana Khodakivska is a member of the European Film Academy, a fellow of the Sundance Institute and the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM), and a graduate of Ex Oriente Film. Over the past ten years, her creative work has focused on the world as seen through the eyes of children and on collaborating with them.
Her latest short documentary, co-directed, Once Upon a Time in Ukraine, was shortlisted for the 2025 Academy Awards. Her current project in production, The Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole (with Alevtyna Kakhidze as art director), was recognized at Cannes Docs/Marche du Film 2024, The Gotham Week 2024, presented at CPH:DOX 2024, and received awards at film markets WEMW 2024 in Trieste and the East Doc Platform 2025 in Prague.
Her vérité-style documentary about mortality, Enticing, Sugary, Boundless or Songs and Dances About Death, was presented at the Ji.hlava festival and nominated for Best Documentary by the Ukrainian Film Academy in 2018. Among her awards is the Gold Plaque of the Chicago International Film Festival (2014) for the historical mini-series Angels of War.
About the film The Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole:
The Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole is a coming-of-age documentary that blends animation, observational filmmaking, and a participatory approach to working with its protagonists.
The film tells the story of Ukrainian children – 15-year-old Tayisa, 12-year-old Kyrylo, and their friends – as they reinterpret and draw their memories of six months spent in a Russian “re-education” camp. As their memories come to life, the children’s sketches transform into vivid and emotional animations that convey not only the trauma and confusion shaped by ideological manipulation but also moments of childlike wonder, joy, and adventure.
