Heroes who "hold" the sky: the best films about the Russian-Ukrainian war that will not leave you indifferent

Ukraine's war with Russia has not been going on for a year or even 8 years. Our people have been fighting the Russian aggressor for their independence, sovereignty and freedom for several centuries. However, the majority of Ukrainians realised this only after the full-scale invasion. There is no doubt that this struggle, aimed at protecting not only the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the lives of its citizens, but also democracy and the entire civilised world, will become the basis for more than one film. However, there are already many powerful films about the Russian-Ukrainian war.

For example, Akhtem Seitablayev's military drama Myrnyi 21, which tells the story of the Luhansk border guard detachment and its commander, Sergei Deynek, who decided to hold the line in 2014 when Russia launched its armed aggression, has recently been released. While some did not hide their separatist sentiments, others took up arms. This and other films are discussed in the OBOZREVATEL article.

Myrnyi 21 (2023)

The film, which was released in 2023, featured Pasha Li, among others. In March 2022, while volunteering in Irpin, he was killed under enemy fire. The work in this project was the actor's last. The film about the resistance of Luhansk border guards in the early days of the 2014 war is still being shown in cinemas. It deserves the attention of every Ukrainian.

Cyborgs (2017)

This film can rightly be considered legendary, as it tells the story of legendary people. This is another work by Akhtem Seitablaev. It is ranked 82nd in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Ukrainian cinema and has won six awards at the 2018 Golden Jig National Film Awards. This is a story about heroes who, regardless of their profession, status or age, went to defend Donetsk airport. 4 months of heroic resistance. It is said that one separatist called our military "cyborgs" when he explained to the leadership why the DAP is still controlled by Ukraine. The film will introduce the viewer to six main characters who have found themselves in new realities. Don't expect to see too much action. This film is not about fighting, but about people.

Bad Roads (2020)

This is the feature-length debut of Ukrainian screenwriter Natalka Vorozhbyt, who presented the Ukrainian audience with the series "To Catch The Kaidash". The film is an adaptation of her 2017 play of the same name. It consists of five short stories about residents of eastern Ukraine, whose fates do not intersect, but who are united by the Russian-Ukrainian war and life under occupation. The problems of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, as well as impeccable humour, which, despite the gloom of the circumstances, will definitely make you laugh out loud.

Sniper. The White Raven (2021)

Another film about the Russian-Ukrainian war, which was released on the big screen after the full-scale invasion in August 2022. A military action film by director Marian Bushan, based on real events. The film introduces us to Mykola, a graduate of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, a physicist and mathematician, an advocate of an eco-friendly lifestyle and an absolute pacifist, who settles in the Donetsk region with his wife Nastia. One day, separatists brutally kill Anastasia for no reason, and Mykola joins a volunteer battalion. He soon becomes a highly skilled sniper. Pavlo Aldoshyn, a native of the now-occupied Kherson region, plays the lead role in the film. After February 24, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is now defending his homeland at the front.

Home (2019)

In 2019, this debut film by director Nariman Aliyev, starring Akhtem Seitablayev, was nominated for an Oscar. It tells the story of one of the most painful topics of Ukraine's war with Russia - the occupation of Crimea. You will not see any military action, explosions or shooting in the film. But it will definitely touch you to the very depths of your soul. In the story, the eldest son of a Crimean Tatar, Mustafa, who moved to Kyiv with his family after the annexation of the peninsula, dies in the ATO. The protagonist decides to take the body of the dead soldier and bury it in Crimea. He returns home with his two sons - the younger one, who is sitting on the next seat in the car, and the older one, who is lying in a coffin. The difficult road changes the characters, and perhaps makes them who they are supposed to be.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about the five best series of spring 2023. Find out what interesting new releases are already available on streaming platforms in our article.

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