The film “West of the East” tells the story of Kramatorsk – a city that, since 2014, has served as the administrative center of Donetsk region and a symbol of Ukrainian identity in Donbas. Since 2022, Kramatorsk has lived on the edge – between independent Ukraine and the threat of occupation. The documentary portrays the city through the stories of journalist Alla Sadovnyk and Stalina Chubenko – the mother of a young hero whose fate embodies the resilience of Kramatorsk. Her son, Stepan Chubenko, at just 16, paid with his life for his pro-Ukrainian stance. Terrorists abducted him on his way home from Kyiv, subjected him to torture, and executed him. Posthumously, Stepan was awarded the Order “For Courage” (III class) and the title of “People’s Hero of Ukraine.” Ten years on, his story remains a reminder of the price of freedom and the strength of resistance.

At a stabilization point near the Vovchansk frontline, Ukrainian medics work daily to save the lives of wounded soldiers. Doctors and nurses of the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade operate under extreme conditions—intense heat, constant shelling, and limited oxygen supply. The Nakypilo team spent half a day on site: waiting outside the operating room, speaking with soldiers, witnessing devastating injuries, and fighting exhaustion after only three hours of sleep. Medics ease the burden by joking with patients, relieving pain and fear, and finding strength to support one another in the most difficult moments. Surgeons follow a guiding rule that keeps them focused on what matters most—saving lives. Despite exhaustion, constant danger, and lack of rest, they never give up and remain at their posts, proving that human dedication and professional resilience can withstand the most extreme circumstances.

“Content of a Sensitive Nature” – a documentary film about Ukrainian photographers who capture the true essence of the war. They stand face to face with death, yet their weapon is their camera. Destroyed homes, grief, and loss become images the entire world must witness. Behind each picture lies a difficult choice: what to reveal, and what to leave outside the frame. The film’s protagonists open up not only their photographs but also their personal experiences, reshaping our understanding of the war. Among the heroes of the documentary project “Content of a Sensitive Nature” are Stas Kozliuk, Heorhii Ivanchenko, Efrem Lukatsky, Arsenii Herasymenko, Danylo Pavlov, Nikoletta Stoyanova, Olha Kovalova, Kateryna Radchenko, and Yevhen Diadytsin.

In wartime, the word becomes perhaps the most valuable support. The Pages of Hope documentary, created by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, tells the story of the Trudova Slava newspaper from the frontline town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia Region, its editor, Svitlana Karpenko, and the people who constantly prove that journalism can be a source of hope.

Mariupol Fortress is a film series built on video calls with soldiers who were surrounded by the Russian army at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. From the beginning of the siege, the director conducted conversations with the Azov Regiment fighters, revealing their personal stories. The protagonist of this installment is Orest – a former communications officer and now head of the Azov Regiment’s press service in Mariupol. From the start of the Russian invasion, Orest informed the world about the situation in the city and at Azovstal, where he was later captured by Russian forces. After the film’s release, Orest was returned home following four months in captivity during a prisoner exchange.

"Isolation" was one of the largest contemporary art centers in Eastern Europe, established on the grounds of a former insulation materials factory in Donetsk. In 2014, when Russia occupied Donetsk, the center was transformed into an illegal prison and the largest torture camp in Europe. The film explores the act of dehumanization witnessed by those who survived this so-called “Isolation” and tells the story of a place once revived by art, now repurposed to inflict pain and humiliation on people.

Generations. East is a special project by Svoi that tells the stories of national minorities from eastern Ukraine: Azov Greeks, Armenians, Georgians, and Azerbaijanis. Russia’s war against Ukraine forced many of them to leave their homes, seeking refuge in safer regions or abroad. Each story is a journey through time and generations, from the early 20th century to the present. Family memories reveal moving accounts of ancestors who had already lost their homes: some were deported from Crimea by Soviet authorities and had to rebuild their lives, others fled the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Still others left their homeland in search of a better future in Ukraine. These four stories of displacement, resilience, and cultural identity come together as a mosaic of today’s Ukraine.