Best Ukrainian documentary movies

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Military people call such places "FRONTLINE", liquidators who worked at the Chernobyl nuclear station called it "ROOF COATING". It was the most contaminated, and therefore the most dangerous, place in the zone. The remains of the roof coating of the 4th reactor. The operation on decontaminating the roof lasted more than five months. We will tell about only two days. About the most important two days in the life of an explorer - dosimetrist Valeriy Starodumov. He participated in this operation until it was over. He himself came out to the roof and led people there. He himself planted the "victory banner" at the level of 75 meters, as the signal for the zone: the roof coating has been decontaminated! Now, 25 years later, Valeriy Starodumov comes back to the zone. Now Chernobyl is a tourist object. But not for him...

90-year-old architect Florian Yuriev is facing the destruction of his magnum opus: an avant-garde concert hall set to be repurposed as a shopping mall. Florian confronts the powerful real estate developer behind this investment project, and uses his visionary ideas to capture an unlikely victory. This is an architectural documentary with infusions of science fiction and horror film.

The story of the outstanding Ukrainian warrior and freedom fighter Dmytro Kotsyubailo, who took part in the revolution on the Maidan (Kyiv, Ukraine) as an 18-year-old boy, then went to the front to defend the country from the Russians.

Kramatorsk may not be the nicest place - a town of factories and broken infrastructure - but its denizens find much to love there, reflecting on their home with frankness and warmth.

An engaging love letter to Ukraine and its people, Enter Through the Balcony examines how architecture can be a curious pathway to a deeper understanding of culture and place.

Documentary that follows Go_A’s lead singer Kateryna Pavlenko in the build up to Eurovision 2021.

Sketches from the overcrowded beaches of Kyiv, where a lot of people die every year. The spotlight is on Dmytro, a beach patrol supervisor, who wants to change the horrible statistics. Will he succeed?

Russian propaganda is doing everything to create a picture of "peaceful life" in Kherson, but in reality it kidnaps and tortures people, leaves them in information isolation and does not allow them to move to other regions. What does the occupation regime really look like and who are its victims?

An educational film about the birth, development, decline, persecution, and flourishing of the Ukrainian language. It shows how it was formed, changed, filled with borrowed words and formed its own neologisms. The film is divided into five historically important periods: Rus, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Hetmanate, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. Each era “spoke” its own language, and here you will hear for the first time how it sounded in different centuries. The presenter, a famous theater and film actor Oleksii Hnatkovskyi, will guide the viewer through the historical periods. In a simple, accurate, sometimes humorous way, he will tell how our language developed during the periods of creation, development, division, fierce wars and total bans.

In 2001, young Kyiv developers led by Serhiy Hryhorovych decided to create the most complex game in the world with realistic graphics, an open world and an unusual plot revolving around the Chornobyl zone. With the launch of the promotional campaign, tens of thousands of people around the world were waiting for STALKER, but the developers became hostage to their ambitions. They endlessly improved the game, postponing its release date every year. But at one point, the American publisher's patience ran out.

Meat-based or vegetarian, with or without beans, potatoes in or out, tomato sauce or real tomatoes added, dried mushrooms or smoked pears, or maybe just mom's borsch? Which variant should be considered "the real thing"? The battles have been lasting for years. That is why Yevhen Klopotenko, a well-known chef, sets out on a journey across Ukraine to uncover the most fascinating borsch recipes and to find the secret ingredients which make this dish unique.

Ivan Prykhodko is one of the last folk artists in Ukraine. He is self-taught, lives in the countryside, and everything that comes from under his brushes is naive and honest art.

Before becoming an animator Anatolii Surma studied to be a tractor driver, and even worked in a regional road service office. His passion for animation began with The Simpsons and South Park. And while American TV series are generally created by huge studios, the distinctly recognizable characters that make up this whole absurdist world come from the hand of an amateur artist from a village in Khmelnytskyi oblast (province). Anatolii Surma never writes scripts for his cartoons. The ones he does write end up in the oven. This is a documentary about the author of the visual identity of Docudays UA Festival 2021 that reveals the secrets behind his creative process, the source of ideas and the inspiration for Anatolii Surma.

Askania-Nova is the largest steppe wildlife sanctuary in Europe. It is located in south part of Ukraine, not far from Crimea peninsula. In order to underline this unique beauty we created a documentary musical film about life of animals and people in wildlife sanctuary of Askania-Nova. The movie reveals stories of a three protagonists, whose destinies were entangled because of wildlife sanctuary.

Driving in their yellow Lada flying its own little Ukrainian flag, they travel from incident to incident – calming an angry neighbor, investigating the discovery of a body, struggling to unfold a stroller and attempting to re-integrate Vova, the freeloader who eats other people’s dogs but actually longs for a normal existence – just like everyone else here. The seasons pass until political developments reach the village by way of the TV screen, sowing separatist discord.

A motivational documentary in an artistic style about how ordinary people become professional soldiers, find their true purpose in war and form the newest Ukrainian military culture. Based on real events and key battles of a full-scale war.

The unique testimony of the tragic events and crimes of russia through the eyes of Ukrainians, which the entire world must see and feel. Film was created from 200 hours of chronicles: survival, resistance, and life during the war. Every minute was filmed by Ukrainians with their mobile phones. Each story in the documentary is a film captured and filmed by Ukrainians on their devices.

"Myth" was the callsign of Vasyl Slipak, the world-famous Ukrainian opera singer, a soloist of the Parisian National Opera, who left the big stage to become a volunteer, a warrior fighting in the East of Ukraine. The Hero of Ukraine, the Knight of the Order "Golden Star" and the Order "For Courage", Vasyl Slipak gave his life, defending Ukraine. This documentary is a real story of heroism and self-sacrifice, which makes us think over our own lives.

Documentary about specific phases of the battle for the Donetsk airport and about the hero-fighters of the Ukrainian Volunteer corps in Pisky. The film presents the war in extreme focus – adrenaline, humor, pain, anguish, and courage are tightly packed into 82 minutes of screen time. It shows scenes of the battle, evacuation of the wounded, the capture of the new airport terminal, and civilians, who live near the fighting’s epicenter. It features death and frontline humor, and a bit of philosophical discussions as well.

"Thus they will sing" is a movie-collage that interweaves human experiences, soromitski (shaming) songs and the flow of modern life. Soromnitski (shaming) songs are traditional songs (spivankas) with erotic motifs, sung at weddings, vechornytsi (evening parties), and feasts. Although they were quite shameful to sing in everyday life, they were broadcasting the man and woman's behavior patterns. The tradition of creating the spivankas (these songs) still exists. Ostap Bohoslovets from Nadvirna town re-analyses the modern world of youth in his own spivankas

The documentary tells the stories of people whose homes were destroyed by the Russian occupiers in order to help Ukrainians rebuild their homes.

A film about the collective psychological traumas of Ukrainians.

What does the violent heart of revolution feel like? As the anger and hatred glow white hot is there a language its players use to speak to one another? And what becomes of the gun toting authorities when their fiefdom is destroyed, nobody is any longer afraid, and all things are ablaze? Just some of the questions addressed in this visceral documentary from Maidan square in the violent Ukrainian winter of 2013-14.

Florian Yuriev is an architect, artist, violin maker, theoretician and poet. At the age of 90 he has to master another, completely new skill. In order to save his architectural project, Kyiv’s ‘Flying Saucer’, from turning into part of a shopping mall, Florian Yuriev launches a campaign against the arbitrary power of developers in the capital.

The film’s story is based on the fate of the Floriculture Pavilion of the former Exhibition of Achievements of the People’s Economy, and its elderly employee Valentyna Voronina, who maintains this space, investing her own life into it, until suddenly changes come to her. After forty-five years of work, she is asked to retire. But Voronina does not agree with that, because she thinks that all the plants will die without her. Meanwhile, a group of mysterious radioesthesists find a channel of positive energy right in front of the entrance to the pavilion.

Once upon a time in the dressing room of the famous Dakh theatre in Kyiv, seven actresses came up with the Dakh Daughters project. At their first solo show, Roses, they presented the world with a contemporary interpretation of the art of cabaret, which, in its absolute carnival freedom, knows how to entertain the public with the most serious topics. At the same time, Ukraine found itself on the threshold of significant change, not just in society, but also in the consciousnesses of thousands of people. The Revolution of Dignity and the war in the East reveal the nuances of the protagonists’ personalities, worldviews, creative reflections.

The authors showcase unique information that disproves previously held stereotypes. It turns out that the roots of Ukrainian hockey go back over a century. Ukrainian hockey players from immigrant families gained world fame while playing for teams in their new homeland. Meanwhile, they continued to maintain their language and culture. Throughout the 100-year existence of the NHL, more than fifty Ukrainians became champions of the League. This is the largest number of champions representing a non-North American nationality. Even the best hockey player of all times, Wayne Gretzky, is of Ukrainian descent.

Full-length documentary about wedding customs and rites from different parts of Ukraine. This film will immerse the viewer in the world of rich, striking and diverse wedding culture of 8 regions of the country: Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Kharkiv, Rivne and Chernivtsi.

In 1975 Dynamo Kyiv became the first Soviet team to win a major European trophy. The team’s rapid rise was remarkable and attributed to one man: Valeri Vasilievich Lobanovskyi. His technique as a manager is now a legend - not least for his imposing a fitness regime so brutal that his players looked upon the matches themselves as relaxing.

Ukrainian musicians of all genres, from metal to opera, transform their passion for music into devotion to their country in this moving documentary. Beginning on the very first day of the Russian invasion, Soldiers of Song documents how the lives of its cast of Ukrainian musicians have irrevocably changed and how they use their musical talents to support themselves and their communities. Using shocking footage from the frontlines, this film reminds us not only of the ongoing tragedies that continue to happen during this war, but also of the resilience of Ukraine and its cultural forces. Here music functions not only to lift the spirits of the soldiers, but also as a cultural export to raise awareness of the war, a tool for raising humanitarian and military funds, and a valuable cultural artifact for everyday Ukrainians to rally around and protect. The musician’s commitment to their craft reminds us of the real power art has and the impact of beauty under catastrophic circumstances.

Personal videos from the phones, camcorders, cameras and GoPros of Ukrainian soldiers are woven into a surreal journey to the frontline of the war with Russia. The film shows a bizarre world whose laws are quite different from what we are used to. The behaviour is different, the relationships unfold differently and the humour takes on different notes. The heroes wake up and fall asleep, rejoice and cry, always feeling that the recording may end at any moment.

Fairytales can be a part of our everyday life. This story of cosmic dreamer Leonid Kanter is one of these. He convinced others of the feasibility of his dreams, and he was able to turn his reality and the reality of everyone around him into an incredible adventure. However, an "evil dragon" unexpectedly appeared in his fairytale and its presence changed the course of events.

Fate was unfair to an entire generation of Ukrainian football players. Every season, the Ukrainian national team set one goal: to make it to the World Cup. Every season, the goal remained a dream. Until 2006.

In this documentary, we are not going to discover anything about the eponymous musical genre, but instead we will meet a group of workers dismantling a high-rise building made of concrete and metal. The filmmakers observe and register their labour using ingenious, visually stunning images, sometimes joined into several composition plans.

The municipal district heating company from Ivano-Frankivsk has a cultural offer for its employees. To break away from their daily routine, run-down infrastructure and troublesome clients, they may come to sing in the company choir once a week. The folk and patriotic songs they practice at rehearsals become a bridge between the past communist era and the new political and economic reality. They help them to deal with the shock of transformation and simply spend some time together, just like in the good old times.

Veteran war reporter John Sweeney and Byline TV filmmaker Caolan Robertson hit the road with war photographer Paul Conroy and journalist Zarina Zabrisky to gather compelling evidence for the use of illegal weapons and the torture of civilians in Ukraine, as well as examining the reality of life and conditions faced by ordinary people on Ukraine's eastern front.

Documentary footage shot in the summer of 2023 by Oleh Sentsov, when his APC was hit by the enemy. Sentsov found himself in a nearby trench and, using radio communication, organized the evacuation of his unit, which was under fire, with ammunition running out. This operation was nicknamed "Real".

This documentary is a portrait of several residents in a remote region of Ukraine. They dream of sunken treasures, sing in a village choir, fight raiders and design coffins for themselves - in short, they live a normal Ukrainian life.

A documentary in two parts about the history of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army from 1942 to 1954 based on the testimonials of thirty-four witnesses and direct participants in the events (with over one hundred people surveyed). The film shows the Ukrainian insurgent movement from the perspective of "ordinary people," without pathos, mystification, and propagandistic clichés. The oral history reveals an unconventional view of the nature of the UPA struggle, letting the viewer feel the atmosphere and spirit of the age, while submerging into the whirlpool of turbulent events.

The film tells about the work of the ambulance crew during the New Year holidays in Kyiv. Three crew members, a doctor, a paramedic, and a driver, respond to calls and receive patients during the work shift.

Throughout time, Eastern Ukraine (such as Donbas) has been referred to as a 'Russian world', but this is indeed not the case. The history of Donbas was re-written during the Soviet era. Although the Soviet Union edited out and withheld all references to the European background of this region from history books in schools and universities. There were, in fact, numerous French, Belgian, German, British, Polish, Swiss, Dutch, and even American settlements and more than 100 wide-scale enterprises in the region. Therefore, this film reveals the pro-European industrialization of Ukrainian Donbas at the turn of the 19th century. It aims to emphasize the European roots of Ukraine long before the official integration process of Ukraine into the EU in 2022.

Three months of revolution. From indignant protest to national unity. From pots on their heads to batons and body armor. From the euphoria of victory to the mourning of the fallen Heavenly Hundred. Revolution as an explosion of revived dignity, as the euphoria of freedom, as the pain of awareness at the cost, as the birth of the modern history of Ukraine. This year we have decided not to have an opening film, because all our attention is focused on the changes taking place in our country today. We have asked the directors who filmed the Ukrainian protests to share their best shots with us. The episodes of these upcoming films about the Euromaidan were formed in a kaleidoscope of revolution, which needs no comment. We offer you a chronicle of the Ukrainian protest. Experience the three months of fighting with us, feel and see the revolution through our eyes.

Even before the days of top-rated global shows, Ukrainian television had no money for international formats. To retain viewers, TV workers created original programs. As a result, cult TV shows appeared and gave Ukraine stars who became symbols of the era. Ihor Pelykh sends strangers on a romantic journey, Kuzma Skryabin makes the contestants spend money quickly, and Ihor Kondratyuk makes stars in one day. This is a story about the diverse and sincere Ukrainian television of the noughties, the legacy it left and why everything changed.

Brand new film from the Ukrainian eastern fronts of Donetsk and Luhansk where the Russian army and pro-Russian separatists had been waging a war against Ukraine even before Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The authors traveled the roads that Mark Twain traveled 150 years ago, recalling quotes from his letters, which later became his best-selling book "The Innocents Abroad." The film reveals little-known facts from the life of Mark Twain, who, as a young reporter, made a daring journey to Jerusalem, to the Holy Land, where his discoveries and notes laid the foundation for a new era in American literature.

Story line was created on the basis of witnesses’ memories. In scrupulous reconstructions we face the image of Ukrainian Sich Rifleman. Through the modern events we can have a better understanding of motivation and activities of historical characters.

Popasna is located in Luhansk in the Donbas region. In 2019, the battle threat is still in the air and many in the population have fled. Still, every morning the children go to one of the few elementary schools that is still open.

The documentary film about the life and work of prominent Ukrainian monumental artists Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnichenko, whose main work - the Wall of Remembrance at Baykove Cemetery - was destroyed by the Soviet authorities after 13 years of daily hard work ...

An experimental short film about the depressive scenery of Eastern European winter

This is a story of a young German man, Michel, whose dream is to lead a simple life far from civilization. He lives in the Ukrainian mountains and takes care of endangered animals - water buffaloes. After 10 years of being a loner, Michel falls in love with Vera, a woman from his hometown in Germany, who has two small kids from a previous relationship. Michel moves back to Germany and tries to create a new family with Vera. In the end Michel has to decide - is love worth a broken dream?

The story of war, love and death that was documented by the immediate participants of events. Off screen and later on it are the two - a boy and a girl. He volunteered for the front; she went to the place just after the battle. He got into Ilovaysk cauldron, lost his closest brother-soldiers. She, while travelling along the ruined towns, strives to understand the essence of war and love. Both tell openly one another about their feelings during the war, escaping the cauldron, a try to live together after, and a common trip to the frontline.

“Cuba & Alaska” depicts two young paramedic women, Cuba and Alaska, who live on the edge in the war-torn Kharkiv region. Their mission is to save lives while sharing good humor, and belief in victory.

Every year, thousands of Ukrainian Christians undertake a pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia, a sacred place. Between prayers they share news, brag about their wealth, take pictures of chapels, give interviews, witness miracles. Witness miracles?

“Lives begin and end, but everything goes back to the earth.” A tour-de-force of cinematography and sound design, this captivating, award-winning documentary looks at three generations of sheepherders in the Carpathian Mountains. While father and son take their flock on their annual journey through the highlands, the 82-year-old widower Vasyl reflects on his past back home. A sublime look at the cycles of life and the waning of tradition.

"Stronger than Arms", is the history that heats our hearts up with the memory of events and people, who from the time of Euromaidan to the war in the East were building a new Ukraine.