We present three projects selected this year to participate in the RAW DOC showcase as part of the industry platform.
Listening to the World (director Yelizaveta Smith, producers Eugene Rachkovsky, Olha Bregman)
Iva, the film's protagonist, can't hear the world because of her disability. She and her son Mykyta face the war in Ukraine and are forced to flee to Germany as refugees. In Berlin, Iva gets a Cochlear implantation and the chance to hear again. In a world full of noises, challenges and war, Iva seeks for the way to hear and to be heard.
Fly Fish Fly (directors Tetiana Hanzha and Zoia Volk, producers Zoia Volk and Oksana Ivantsiv)
The film explores how unhealed trauma is passed from generation to generation, shaping the lives of descendants and revealing the courage it takes to break silence — especially with those closest to us. Through three interwoven stories from Ukraine, Kosovo, and Germany, the film follows women as they confront the legacies of wartime sexual violence and search for ways to heal. Art, testimony, therapy, and family conversations become tools for reclaiming identity, dignity, and agency. By looking into the past, the film asks urgent questions about the future: is healing possible, and how can the cycle of trauma be stopped?
It Will Happen (director Anna Mihunova, producer Andrii Korniienko)
In June 2023, Anna lost her beloved in the war. Since then, her life has been measured by the intervals between visits to the cemetery. For Anna, the film becomes a way to live through loss and a form of personal psychotherapy.
RAW DOC showcase projects are eligible for prizes from the showcase's partners:
a free of charge screening of the film's rough cut with the team at KINO42;
a grant of 65,000 hryvnias from the Suspilne Movlenia/Public Broadcasting team (the sum includes taxes to be paid in accordance with legal requirements at the time of transfer) for the final stage of documentary film production — subject to the mandatory condition of entering into a broadcast agreement with Suspilne (non-exclusive public communication rights to the completed documentary film on Suspilne's channels and digital platforms, under the terms set out in the relevant agreements, for a period of one (1) year in the territory of Ukraine);
a free of charge editing consultation from the Rough Cut Service team.
The showcase will take place during the DOCU/PRO industry platform, where participants will screen rough cuts of their films in a cinema and take part in a moderated discussion with the attending experts. The event will be closed, with access granted only to invited experts and participating teams.
RAW DOC is a showcase created for filmmakers who are working on rough cuts of their films and want to screen them to international industry experts for professional feedback. During closed screenings, participants will have the opportunity to connect with potential partners, including representatives of European public broadcasters, sales agents, and film festivals. Find out more about the showcase here.
The 23rd Docudays UA is held with the financial support of the European Union and the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine. The opinions, conclusions, or recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the governments of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies exclusively with the authors and editors of the publication.
