Best Ukrainian movies

Over 93 days in Ukraine, what started as peaceful student demonstrations became a violent revolution and full-fledged civil rights movement.

In 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones travels to Ukraine, where he experiences the horrors of a famine. Everywhere he goes he meets henchmen of the Soviet secret service who are determined to prevent news about the catastrophe from getting out. Stalin’s forced collectivisation of agriculture has resulted in misery and ruin—the policy is tantamount to mass murder.

Mykola is an eccentric pacifist who wants to be useful to humanity. When the war begins at Donbass, Mykola’s naive world is collapsing as the militants kill his pregnant wife and burn his home to the ground. Recovered, he makes a cardinal decision and gets enlisted in a sniper company. Having met his wife’s killers, he emotionally breaks down and arranges “sniper terror” for the enemy. He’s saved from a senseless death by his instructor who himself gets mortally wounded. The death of a friend leaves a “scar” and Mykola is ready to sacrifice his life.

Mavka, a Soul of the Forest, faces an impossible choice between love and her duty as Guardian of the Heart of the Forest when she falls for a human, a talented young musician named Lukas.

Deaf-mute Sergey enters a specialized boarding school for the deaf-and-dumb. In navigating through the school's hierarchy, he encounters a corrupt underbelly of criminality, known as The Tribe. By participating in several robberies, he gets propelled higher into the organization, when he meets one of the Chief’s concubines Anya, and unwittingly breaks all the unwritten rules of the group.

This wonderful story happened in the age of valiant knights, beautiful princesses, and battling sorcerers. Ruslan, a wandering artist dreaming to become a knight, met beautiful Mila and fell in love with her; he didn’t even suspect that she is the King’s daughter. However, the lovers’ happiness wasn’t meant to last too long. Chernomor, the evil sorcerer, appeared in a magic vortex and stole Mila right before Ruslan’s eyes to transform her power of love into his own magic power. Without further ado, Ruslan sets out on a chase after the stolen princess to overcome all obstacles and to prove that real love is stronger than magic.

Kolya and Vasylii learn that their father, who left them when they were children, is dying in Luxembourg, far away from them. One of them wants to go and find his father, while the other one does everything he can to prevent the first from leaving the country. As a result, they both go to Luxembourg in search of their dad: Kolya considers him a hero, while Vasylii thinks he is a scoundrel.

A solar eclipse activates a magic time portal, and a regular schoolboy Vit'ko from the 21st century goes a thousand years back in time. It doesn’t take Vitya long to recognize the legendary bogatyrs in young Oleshko, powerful Ilya and severe Dobrynya. Their life passes in fighting cumans who try to destroy Rusichi at any cost, using both weapons and black magic. Vitya finds himself in the very midst of incredible events, battles with mythical creatures and acquires real courage.

Twenty-five-year-old Vadym earns a living recording and selling all kinds of different sounds; nevertheless, he’d rather exchange his life in Kyiv for a better future in far-flung Canada. Thus, when he gets a generous job offer which might help him realise his dream, he jumps at the chance; he soon sets off to record the sounds of animals indigenous to Ukraine and also a rare bird native to the Carpathians. The situation proves somewhat more complicated when Vadym’s companion on the trip turns out to be his mother… To the sounds of a synthesized music score, debuting Ukrainian director Antonio Lukich unfolds a visually creative road movie, in which he demonstrates a highly unusual talent for constructing tragicomic situations.

‘The Cyborgs’ is re-telling the recent history of Ukraine – the legendary fight for Donetsk Airport in 2014 during Russian invasion. The freedom fighters from various divisions of Ukrainian army and volunteer battalions took a 242-days stand against the Russian backed militants until the complete destruction of the airport’s terminal.

In the early eighteenth century, foreign rule means dark times for the Hutsuls of the Carpathians. The two Dovbush brothers become opryshkos - mountain outlaws. But the two brothers become enemies - one cares only about money, the other - Oleksa - fights for his people. The Carpathians are convulsed with a wave of uprisings. The aristocracy uses its military might to try to kill Dovbush and destroy his legend. But Dovbush outwits them. The desperate lords devise a devious plan and attack the invincible outlaw's Achilles heel - his love for his childhood sweetheart, Marichka. Who will be the assassin to attack the Opryshko whose immense strength and bravery inspired folk tales? Will the lords' treacherous plan destroy the hero before he can lead his people to freedom?

As his country is gripped by revolution and war, a Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life and play his part in the revolution by revealing it.

When reformed ex-smuggler Pamfir returns home to his village on the Ukrainian border after working abroad for several years, he’s determined to earn an honest living and set a good example for his beloved teenage son Nazar. But in a town where corruption runs deep and crime and religion are inextricably linked, his plan is quickly thwarted when Nazar sets fire to the local church in a misguided effort to keep him at home. To pay for the damage, Pamfir must take on one last job for a crime syndicate operating a risky smuggling venture in a place where all the rules have changed.

A soldier suffering from PTSD befriends a young volunteer hoping to restore peaceful energy to a war-torn society.

The story of the novice musician Kuzma. Three days before the planned concert he goes with his friend Bard to Berlin for the old car "Pobeda". It is said that there is a collector ready to exchange the yellow beast for the Mercedes-Benz W140 (called as "Mers"). Kuzma promises his girlfriend Barbara to return home in a new car, and the guys from the band - to have time to perform. From the first minutes of the trip, of course, everything goes wrong. However, one thing is certain: the adventure will help the heroes find their true purpose.

President Vasily Goloborodko is in power for almost half a year. The economic situation in the country had deteriorated: prices are rising and the national currency has depreciated. People's confidence in the President is rapidly falling. To stabilize the situation in the country Goloborodko needs to get financial assistance from the IMF in the amount of 15 billion euros, which can be provided, if reforms and anti-corruption laws will be introduced in Ukraine.

Vera is a famous TV personality who wakes up with Nikita in bed after a hard day of partying. The next day, when she wakes up, the same thing happens.

Having lost his oldest son in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Mustafa resolves to bring the boy’s body to the land of his birth: Crimea. Together, he and his younger son set out on a journey that will profoundly mark their relationship.

On honeymoon on the island of Lesbos, a woman falls for the daughter of a Russian archaeologist.

The crew of Ukrainian NAVY minesweeper U311 "Cherkasy" is resisting seizure of the vessel by Russian army in Crimea in 2014.

Vasyl Serediuk - head of the local Museum - having sent his daughter Kateryna to a french university, never expected the outcome: a month ago she informed him that she is getting married to a French heart surgeon François. Since then Vasyl’s proud statement spread throughout the whole region: “The Serediuks have made their European choice!". How huge was his surprise when he saw that the cherished European future son-in-law is a Frenchman of African origin. Organizing a wedding so that it never happens seems like a brilliant idea. But when true love stands in the way, the success of such plan is not a given.

American boy Peter and blind minstrel Ivan are thrown together by fate amidst the turbulent mid-30s Soviet Ukraine.

Hanging out with friends, smoking a lot, spinning bottles and kissing, making mistakes, playing, refusing to accept, dreaming with open eyes - life as a teenager can be overwhelmingly beautiful and difficult at the same time. In her debut, the Ukrainian director composes a deeply emotional and multi-layered portrait of a generation whilst seamlessly flowing between the fictional and the documental.

The Fixies are little creatures that, unseen by humans, help them maintain their appliances – and generally make sure things don’t fall apart… Until an unexpected occurrence of gargantuan proportions threatens to reveal the Fixies’ existence!

A married couple decides to divorce, but things don't quite go the way they planned.

A young girl, cook Varia, loses her job because no one needs her haute cuisine in a roadside café. Sweet, energetic, witty – she runs as far away from home as possible in search of realization! But an unexpected discovery – a book by the forgotten legend of Ukrainian cuisine Olha Franko changes her life forever and inspires her to go local, instead of trendy!

The protagonist Andrii Dovzhenko finds out a horrible truth, that has been hidden in USSR for years - most of those accused of «anti-Soviet propaganda» were never sent to prison, but to special psychiatric hospitals with a diagnosis of "slow progressive schizophrenia". Andrii finds himself in a real hell of punitive psychiatry and faces a difficult choice - to cooperate with the KGB and return to his family, or to reveal the truth about dissidents tortured in such psychiatric hospitals. The script was based on the memoirs of Soviet dissidents who faced the brutality of a totalitarian system that used so-called "punitive psychiatry" as a weapon against free thought.

The tale unfolds around an ancient witch from the Ukrainian town of Konotop, who long ago abandoned her extraordinary powers after falling in love with a mortal man. However, tragedy strikes when her beloved is brutally murdered by the russian soldiers as they occupy Konotop in February 2022. Fueled by grief and a thirst for revenge, she reclaims her supernatural abilities, embarking on a blood-soaked quest to mete out justice to her fiancé's killers.

Vera and Nikita have been married for 3 years. In the midst of another joyful quarrel they exchange views on what should be a "normal man" and "a good wife." And the next morning ... everyone wakes up with a "perfect half." Nikita has a blonde wife blonde, which is a good cook; Vera has a caring husband, a businessman, he buys her favorite breakfast croissants. With whom is life better? Be careful with your dreams - sometimes they come true!

Thirty years after the worst nuclear catastrophe in history, which sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere, biologist Rob Nelson and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota are the first scientists to be granted unlimited access to the Chernobyl exclusion/danger zone to investigate how the environment and the wildlife have been affected after three decades of radiation exposure.

1918 Ukraine. Patriotic students, protagonists of the film, get ready to defend Kyiv and fight heroically in the Battle of Kruty. On this historical background reveals the story of the Savytskyi family - the general of Ukraine's counterintelligence and his two sons, Andrii and Oleksa.

Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful Ligeia. She's fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy.

Year 1947. Commander of UPA Danylo Chervonyi gets into the terrible slaughter of Stalin's camps, where he must go through hell and inhumane prison conditions, prosecution of criminal leaders, meanness, betrayal and despair. Danylo finds the strength to resist repression of the camp commander and makes a desperate attempt to break free, raising the first rebel in the camp.

Residents of a Ukrainian apartment building gather to discuss the purchase of a common generator for the winter. However, its capacity is not enough for everyone.

World traveler and adventurer Gulliver is invited to return to Lilliput, the town he previously saved from the enemy fleet of the neighboring Blefuscu.

Little Nicky, the son of the Tanner, a famous strongman, has made up his mind, that he can conquer the dragon as his father did long ago. Against prohibition of his father, Nicky has managed to get into trouble and now it depends only on his courage, whether he defeats the resurgent dragon and returns home from the magic world.

Documentary film about Ukrainian refugees and European volunteers who have united facing the war.

When Serhiy asks his girlfriend to marry him, he is met with a sound rebuff and an unflattering critique of his poor performance in bed. Broken-hearted and with his world almost falling apart, Serhiy takes a macho decision to spend the New Year holiday with his friend, Vasyl in Prague. After a fairly dismal night in a strip club, Serhiy meets striptease dancer, Diana, who offers to show him the way to become a sex super hero. But his ex-girlfriend seems to be standing in the way of realising his dream. We follow Serhiy's further hot - and ever hotter - adventures in Prague.

This is a metaphorical story about the tragic and mysterious death of the most powerful poet of 1960s, human rights activist, hero of Ukraine Vasyl Stus and his struggle with the Soviet system. The events of the film unfold during the last attempt by the KGB to seduce the poet with a whimsical "freedom".

Ihor, is bored with his glamorous girlfriend Ilona. Meanwhile, Irina, demands sex of Andrew, for which he has neither strength nor desire. Ihor and Irina demand a sexual experiment - a swinger's party. Meanwhile, Sveta, left naked on her lover's balcony when his wife suddenly returns, is saved by Denis the neighbour. But the evening gets more interesting when Edward appears on Denis's doorstep.

The film tells about the tragic date in the history of the Crimean Tatar people — May 18, 1944 — Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars. The plot of the film — a pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Amethan Sultan. In May, 1944, a year after liberation of Sevastopol Amethan goes on vacation to his native town Alupka. On May 18 his eyes witness begining of deportation of the Crimean Tatars.

The plot revolves around the controversial relationship between maid Stefania Chornenko and blueblood Adelia Anger against the backdrop of the provincial Austro-Hungary in 1900. Both Stefania’s parents and Adelia’s mother died during the fire. Adelia’s father adopted neighbors’ orphan. Girls grew up together to become as close as sisters, though Stefania served as the maid. This attachment develops into love-trap: on one hand full of mutual manipulation and jealousy, but equally based on сare and devotion. The illusion of balance is broken when Adelia marries sculptor Petro. Everything gets even more complicated when Joseph, the old love interest of Stefa, returns to town as the priest and married man. Illusions are destined to evaporate and reality comes into focus.

A 40-year-old loser named Isidoro at the request of his brother drives from Italy to mountainous Carpathian village in Ukraine with a coffin of a diseased Ukrainian worker, who died at a construction site in Italy.

In the autumn of 2014, in the ATO zone, an intelligence group headed by experienced captain Anton Saienko (called by nickname "Banderas") tries to prevent sabotage and neutralize the Russian saboteur.

A documentary film-project by Dmytro Komarov. He was the first journalist to witness and film the horrors of the just-liberated towns of Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel. He saw the first emotions of people immediately after the de-occupation of Kyiv region, Kharkiv region, and Kherson region. The documentary is the author's view of the war from angles that you won't see in the news. Unique, rare, exclusive comments from those whose hands and minds are shaping our future victory. The main heroes of documentary are both ordinary Ukrainians who heroically show their strength and power every day for a year and high-ranking officials such as Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, Major General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk. Initially, "Year" was a series of journalistic reports, later they were edited into a two-part film.

Amid violence and war, Ukrainian citizens are coming together to rescue animals that have been left behind by those forced to flee. From cats and dogs in abandoned buildings to lions and tigers in the nation’s zoos, extraordinary rescue efforts are underway to bring them to safety. The film is a tribute to the very best of the human spirit despite the horrors of war.

The story of trust and its absence against the background of events unfolding in Eastern Ukraine in early 2014. The main topic is revealed through the prism of the Luhansk border base, whose fighters the separatists and Russian special services tried unsuccessfully force to betray their country.

A story about relationships between children and adults broken by shaky 1990s in Ukraine. The boy Tymophii befriends a weird man named Felix. He's the veteran of Afghan war, he has PTSD and he loves music.

Documentary biographical drama about the life and career of the first Ukrainian pop star - Nazarii Yaremchuk.

1932. Western Ukraine. The fighters of an underground Ukrainian organization conduct a revolutionary action against the government. Contrary to their plans, it turns into a bloody slaughter. Now the choice of young patriots is small: death or immortality.

Four short stories are set along the roads of Donbass during the war. There are no safe spaces and no one can make sense of just what is going on. Even as they are trapped in the chaos, some manage to wield authority over others. But in this world, where tomorrow may never come, not everyone is defenseless and miserable. Even the most innocent victims may have their turn at taking charge.

A sickly man places a classified ad in which he offers a huge downtown loft apartment, utilities, food and eventual ownership of the flat with just one proviso: the couple who moves in must love each other so much that they can remain in the flat all day until the old man’s death. If one of them leaves, the deal is off. Enter the pale and auburn-haired Katya, a cellist who meets photographer Roman, a handsomely muscular young man.

A year after a crazy wedding, another surprise, another daughter and a new son-in-law, they become part of the most crazy adventures showing high-quality Ukrainian humor.

Single mother Anna and her four children live in the front-line war zone of Donbas, Ukraine. While the outside world is made up of bombings and chaos, the family is managing to keep their home a safe haven, full of life and full of light. Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, motivating them to shoot a film inspired by their own life during a time of war. The creative process raises the question of what kind of power the magical world of cinema could have during times of disaster. How to picture war through fiction? For Anna and the children, transforming trauma into a work of art is the ultimate way to stay human.

The twelve-year-old schoolboy Max escapes from the house and hides under the bridge. There he finds a spray can of nano-paints, and draw a graffiti of a dog. Unexpectedly painted graffiti comes alive and turns into dog-nanorobot with super powers. And now both of them are hunted by a dangerous criminal who will not stop at anything in order to seize this powerful technology. Guy Max falls into a whirlpool of adventure, through which he finds true friends.

The movie explores the origin of the Ukrainian language and persecution of those who defended its authenticity. Using examples of other countries, creators of the film prove that a nation cannot exist without a language.

Based on a true story. Two fighters of 'Donbas' Volunteer Battalion get locked inside city of Ilovaysk after regular Russian army enters Ukraine and shells the surrounded divisions of Ukrainian Army in the infamous would-be 'green corridor'. The fighters survive thanks to the help of the locals and manage to break out through the front line to reach the freed territory. Taras Kostanchuk who is playing himself as 'Beshoot' is that same Donbas commander who is the prototype of the story. Half of the actors and extras are real 'Donbas' volunteers who survived the battle.

A Ukrainian LGBTQ+ acceptance group is formed by teacher Nadia. A stereotypically homophobic family hesitantly decides to sign up to receive tempting financial supplements. They will need to spend 24 hours with group members Vasyl, beer fan Zenyk, actress Diana and aggressive Denys. Through amusing games, they will learn about homophobia, equality, empathy, gender discrimination, and self-fulfillment. They play games promoting equality and empathy, using humor against prejudice.

What if Taras Shevchenko put down his pen and took a samurai sword into his hands? Akayo samurai enters the territory of Ukraine, seeking revenge on the Japanese Harimoto--a buyer of slaves from a Ukrainian master. On his way, Akayo meets the serf Taras, who is also guided by personal revenge and wants to organize the release of his beloved.

Gordon von Steiner’s “Troya” is a visually striking short film set in the Troieshchyna neighborhood of Kyiv, known for its stark Soviet-era architecture. The film explores themes of urban isolation and resilience through a series of compelling and gritty vignettes. Von Steiner’s direction captures the raw and unembellished aesthetics of Troieshchyna, highlighting its dense clusters of monotonous apartment buildings and the lives of its residents. The film juxtaposes the area’s bleak physical environment with moments of unexpected beauty and humanity, creating a powerful narrative that resonates with the viewer.

Kharkiv, the 1930s. The heyday of Ukrainian art. Ambitious young poet Vladimir Akimov happily settles in at the new luxury "Slovo" House built specifically for artists. He comes from the provinces and works as a proof-reader in a printing press, and has never even dreamed of living under one roof with prominent Ukrainian writers and artists. He thinks his own poetry is genius, but nobody takes his literary efforts seriously, not to mention the occasional chuckles over his epigone poems. But fate smiles at him. The head of the political intelligence agency suggests that he become the author of a play written earlier. Akimov agrees, signing a non- disclosure note. The poet has no idea what price he will pay for this success. “‘Slovo’ House” is a story about a generation of Ukrainian artists persecuted by the totalitarian system, unfolding against the backdrop of one of the largest genocides of the 20th century: the Holodomor, which caused the death of almost 7 million people.

A testimony to the Russian-Ukrainian war by ordinary people who lived in Mariupol during the first month of the invasion. The film is based on the diaries of Mariupol journalist Nadiya Sukhorukova: she wrote down what she saw around her at that time.

As a result of a terrible car accident, young Ukrainian athlete Oksana Boturchuk suffers several serious injuries, almost losing her eyesight. However, after long rehabilitation and a returning to incredible training, she is able to conquer a gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Ah, the female form! Who doesn’t like a woman with a certain something? Okay, a certain pair of somethings! Here we’ve got boobs both bouncin’ and behavin’, big and small! And that’s not all! Along with a positively preposterous number of pairs come some of the most gorgeous girls you’ll ever see, all having a laugh at some poor guy’s expense! If you’re a C-cup connoisseur, you will love Naked & Funny: Bouncin’ Boob!

WAR GAME: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 dives into the profound narrative of creation amidst destruction, chronicling how a Ukrainian video game developer’s quest to complete an internationally anticipated sequel becomes a defiant act of resilience and artistry in the face of attack from Russia. In what is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges a video game studio has ever faced, the developers at GSC Game World work under the ravaging conditions of war to bring the highly anticipated game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl to life. As they battle the emotional toll of displacement, personal loss, and political upheaval, they must find the strength and resilience to keep their artistic vision alive. With personal stories of sacrifice, determination, and hope, the film offers a powerful insight into the human toll of conflict and the transformative power of creative expression.

Ukraine 1922. The Russian empire has already broken up, but a new state has not yet been formed. Many tried to create and consolidate their independence during this period, and this is the story of one of such people. This is the story of the life and love of one person - Ivan, nicknamed Raven ...