Documentary on Four Ukrainian Women's Recovery Heads to Amsterdam
A documentary about four Ukrainian women who survived Russia's war against Ukraine will have its world premiere this Sunday, 15 November, in the main competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The film, Women and War, is directed by Elwira Niewiera. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively premiered its trailer.
The film follows Olena, Yuliia, Iryna and Lena. It shows the four women in long-term therapy in the remote mountains, with the treatment followed over the course of a year.
The documentary was produced by Hans Robert Eisenhauer for Germany's Ventana Film, Maciej Kubicki for Poland's Telemark, and Natalia Krasilnikova for Art Dialogue in Ukraine. It was co-produced with ZDF, in cooperation with ARTE and TVP, two European broadcasters. Rise and Shine is handling world sales, which means the company will look for buyers for the film in countries around the world.
Alongside the festival, Niewiera and visual artist Bartek Kiełbowicz have started a public event outside Amsterdam's Eye Filmmuseum. Titled "33 Women, 33 Portraits: Let's Not Let Them Be Forgotten!", it is meant to draw attention to Ukrainian civilian women held in Russian captivity.
Festivals like IDFA are where documentaries often find their first audience. A premiere in the main competition puts a film in front of festival programmers, critics and buyers at the same time. For the film's makers, the Sunday screening is the first time the public will see the work in full.
