Today, on Defenders of Ukraine Day, DOCUSPACE launches the online screening of five films from the non-competition programme ‘Ukraine War Archive/Fragments of Resistance’ of the 23rd Docudays UA. These films were made from within the war by service members and documentary filmmakers. They explore combat work and daily routines, waiting and exhaustion, human interaction, and the experiences of those resisting Russian aggression.
The online screening programme includes five films: From the Ground Up and The Owl by Vadym Ilkov, Genie in the Air by Serhii Lysenko, Tyhon by Volodymyr Palylyk, and War Mechanics by Volodymyr Sydko. The authors of these films serve in Ukraine’s Defence Forces and continue to document the war from the perspective of those directly involved in it. This perspective helps bridge the distance between military personnel and civilians and draw attention to stories that often remain outside the public eye.
A still from the film The Owl
From the Ground Up by Vadym Ilkov tells the story of a group of people from civilian professions who managed to build an effective unit and carry out combat missions without casualties. The film The Owl takes viewers into the nocturnal routine of mobile fire teams hunting Shahed drones. Long waits for a target, readiness to fire, and short cigarette breaks in the rays of the evening sun become part of an exhausting routine that has lasted for more than a year. Director Vadym Ilkov is a cinematographer, a documentary filmmaker and a service member of the 39th Separate Marine Brigade.
In Genie in the Air, Serhii Lysenko observes the work of three FPV drone pilots. The film’s slow pace immerses viewers in the everyday reality of war and allows them to see the people behind the combat missions. Serhiy Lysenko is a documentary filmmaker and an officer of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade.
In Tyhon, Volodymyr Palylyk meets a group of Ukrainian soldiers after their return from the frontline. Tired, wet, dirty, and sweaty, they share their impressions of the past few days, describing their missions to the “zero line” and intense close-quarters combat. Director Volodymyr Palylyk is a Ukrainian cinematographer and a service member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In War Mechanics, Volodymyr Sydko introduces viewers to “Major,” the commander of a company of ground robotic systems, and his unit. The robots deliver ammunition, supplies, and fuel to places ordinary vehicles cannot reach. This time, the team faces a special mission — evacuating a wounded soldier. Volodymyr Sydko is a documentary filmmaker and a service member of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Watch the films from the ‘Ukraine War Archive/Fragments of Resistance’ programme for free from 1 October on DOCUSPACE, Docudays UA’s online cinema. Please note that the films will be available for viewing only within Ukraine.
We take a closer look at how our perspective on war changes when it is told not only by a director but also by a service member who is himself on the frontline in an episode of the Docudays UA podcast Documentaries from the Inside, featuring Serhii Lysenko. The documentary filmmaker and officer of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade talks about his experience filming during the war, his work on Genie in the Air, as well as how to tell stories of war to Ukrainian and international audiences, why service members need to see their own stories on screen, and whether cinema can help civilians better understand military personnel. Watch the conversation with Serhii Lysenko on the Docudays UA YouTube channel.
Main photo: a still from the film From The Ground Up
