The depiction of the Russo-Ukrainian War in cinema has become an important phenomenon of modern Ukrainian cinema. It has been described by film journalists and Ukrainians as not only a form of artistic expression, but also a means of understanding events, maintaining public spirit and morale, coping with trauma, and a tool for informing the world about the tragedies, heroism, and struggle of the Ukrainian people as a result of the Russian invasion of the territory of Ukraine since the Spring of 2014.
Two films about the war won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature: 20 Days in Mariupol in 2024 and Mr Nobody Against Putin in 2026.
Movies +YearLanguageNameGenreDirectorCountrySynopsis2014UkrainianУкраїна: вижити у вогні / Ukraine: Surviving the FireDocumentaryKhrystyna Bondarenko 2014UkrainianНа лінії вогню / In the Line of FireDocumentarySerhii Yakymenko2014RussianВаря / BoilingDocumentaryAlyona PoluninaFilm documenting the trip of Russian volunteer Varvara Darevska, who assisted the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to Ukraine.2014RussianДНР, або Химерна історія країни-саморобки / DPR, or the Quirky History of a Self-Made CountryDocumentaryAnthony BattsFilm documenting the first weeks (April–May 2014) of the Donetsk People's Republic breakaway state and its supporters.2014Ukrainian, Russian / Our HopeDocumentaryVolodymyr Tykhyi, Yulia ShashkovaUkrainian film documenting the life story of Ukrainian pilot and politician Nadiya Savchenko. including her detention and trial.2014Ukrainian, Russian, Surzhik / On the Front LineDocumentaryFilm documenting military events in Eastern Ukraine2014Ukrainian, SurzhikЛист бійців АТО Путіну / A Letter from ATO Fighters to PutinDocumentaryVolodymyr Tykhyi2014Ukrainian / War at your Own Expense Short DocumentaryLeonid Kanter, Ivan YasniiFilm about the National Guard of Ukraine and the training of new troops.2014UkrainianКонтакт / ContactDocumentaryMustafa Nayyem, Bohdan Kutiepov2014Ukrainian(Не)прихована війна / (Un)hidden warDocumentary2014Ukrainian, Russian / Battle for the DniproDocumentaryAndriy NesterenkoFilm documenting reforms that took place in Dnipropetrovsk.2014Television film, WarPavel Ignatov2015UkrainianКапелани / Chaplains DocumentaryValentin DegtyarenkoFilm documenting the Russo-Ukrainian war from the perspective of Ukrainian priests.2015RussianШов: Психолог на войне / Shov: Psychologist for WarDocumentaryLidia Starodubtseva 2015Russian / Dill of DonbassDocumentaryRuslan HorovyiFilm documenting life in Eastern Ukraine during combat and Russian occupation.2015Ukrainian / PrisonerDramaAnatoly Mateshko2015Ukrainian, Russian, EnglishМіна / MineShort documentaryВовка Соловей2015Ukrainian / Volunteers of God's Choir DocumentaryLeonid Kanter, Ivan YasniiFull-length documentary about Ukrainian defenders at the Donetsk airport.2015RussianХто нас розвів? / Who Led Us Away?DocumentaryYevhenii Lesnoi2015RussianТі, що пережили пекло / Those Who Survived HellShort DocumentaryOleksiy Bida, Anna PerepelitsaFilm documenting the testimony of people who survived Pro-Russian separatist captivity and torture.2015RussianБлизький далекий схід / Middle Far EastDocumentaryPhilip Remunda2015Ukrainian, RussianАліса у Країні війни / Alice in the Land of WarDocumentaryAlisa Kovalenko, Lyubov Durakova2016Russian, Ukrainian, RomanianМаріуполіс / MariupolisDocumentaryMantas Kvedaravičius
Film documenting the everyday life of ordinary residents of Mariupol, Shirokyny, and Sartana during the war, amid extreme conditions of shelling and destruction. The film's premiere took place at the 66th Berlin Film Festival.2016Russian / Oleg's ChoiceDocumentaryOlena Voloshyn, James KeoughFilm about the personal motives for the participation and demoralization of Russian volunteers in the war, as well as their. It was presented at the FIPA and "One World" film festivals.2016UkrainianПоверни мені ім'я / Give Me Back my Name DocumentarySnizhana PotapchukFilm about the search for the bodies of dead Ukrainian servicemen.2016Russian / Relatives DocumentaryVitaly Manskyi
Film about how relatives living in Lviv, in the territory controlled by DPR militants, and in Sevastopol, annexed by Russia, react to the events of the Russo-Ukrainian war.2016Ukrainian, RussianДесять секунд / Ten SecondsDocumentaryJulia HontarukFilm based on the events following the shelling of the "East" residential quarter of the city of Mariupol by pro-Russian militants on January 24, 2015.2016Море волнуется / The Sea is AgitatedDramaAleksandr Barshak2016 / I'm With YouCrime, DramaOleg Turanskiy2016Под солнцем / Under the SunDramaIgor Parfenov2016Однажды в Украине. Война / Once Upon a Time in Ukraine: The WarDramaIgor Parfenov2017Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Russian, FrenchІній / FrostWar film, dramaSharunas Bartas
A young Lithuanian, Rokas, drives a humanitarian aid truck with his girlfriend Inga to the Donbas region of Ukraine where, amid the violence and death of the war in Donbas, they meet different war reporters.2017Ukrainian, RussianКіборги / Cyborgs Action, War film, DramaAkhtem SeitablayevUkrainian war drama film about the Cyborgs, the Ukrainian defenders in the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport during the war in Donbas.2017 / CrimeaAction, DramaAleksey Pimanov2017 / Leander's Last JourneyDrama, Romance, WarNick Baker-Monteys2017Апостасия / Forgotten by GodDrama, Family, Aleksey Muradov2017 / Keep Close To Your HeartDrama, WarValeriy Shalyga2017 / Monkey, Ostrich and GraveDrama, Horror, WarOleg Mavromati Viktor Lebedev 2018Ukrainian, Russian / Call Sign "Banderas"War film, Drama, DetectiveZaza BuadzeWar drama film based on the diaries of the national guard Serhiy Bashkov with the call sign "Banderas", and the stories of ATO soldiers.2018Ukrainian, Russian / MythDocumentaryLeonid Kanter, Ivan YasniiFilm documenting the life and death of opera singer Vasyl Slipak and his joining of the Ukrainian volunteer movement before being killed by a sniper's bullet.2018Russian, UkrainianДонбас / DonbassDramaSergey Loznytsia
Drama film containing thirteen short stories about life in Russia-occupied territories, each representing reconstructions of real events recorded in professional reports, amateur videos on YouTube, and memories of local residents.2018Kona fer í stríð / Woman at WarAdventure, Comedy, Drama, ThrillerBenedikt Erlingsson
/ Post-Traumatic RhapsodyFantasy, History, WarPavlo Kogut2019UkrainianАтлантида /AtlantisDramaValentin VasyanovychDrama film taking place in 2025, following the victory of Ukraine against Russia and the return to now-inhabitable territories devastated by war and occupation.2019Ukrainian, Russian, EnglishІловайськ 2014. Батальйон Донбас / Ilovaisk 2014. Battalion Donbas Action, War dramaIvan TymchenkoUkrainian feature film directed about the battles for Ilovaisk during the War in Donbas.2019UkrainianМати Апостолів / Mother of the ApostlesWar dramaZaza BuadzeFilm based on real events that took place in the East of Ukraine in 2014 about a mother's search for her son following news of his plane being shot down.2019Ukrainian, RussianЧеркаси / CherkasyWar dramaTimur YashchenkoUkrainian feature film directed by Tymur Yashchenko about the defense of the eponymous naval , blocked by Russian troops in Donuzlav Bay, Crimea during the 2014 capture of Southern Naval Base. The film was created with the support of the State Cinema of Ukraine.2019Ukrainian, Russian / SkhidnyakComedy, Road movieAndy Yves (Andriy Ivanyuk)Comedy film based on real events during the Russian-Ukrainian war involving two soldiers traveling through various front line villages.2019Додому Evge / HomewardDramaNariman Aliev2019Одного разу в місті на камені / Once Upon a Time in the City on the StoneComedy, CrimeAndriy Zayets2019 / Militia GirlWarAleksey Kozlov2019 / Donbass. Borderland.WarRenat Davletyarov2019Забуті / The ForgottenDrama, Romance, WarDaria Onishchenko 2020 / BlindfoldDrama, SportTaras Dron2020Наші Котики / Our KittiesComedyVolodymyr Tykhyi
2020Плохие дороги / Bad RoadsDramaNatalya Vorozhbyt2021UkrainianШлях поколінь / The Path of GenerationsDocumentaryMykhailo UhmanFilm documenting events that took place during the existence of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.2021 / CheckpointVera Sokolova2021Відблиск / ReflectionDrama, WarValentyn Vasyanovych2021 / HotsunlightAction, Drama, Thriller, WarMaksim Brius Mikhail Vasserbaum2021Бог простить / God Will ForgiveAction, Drama, WarHovhannes Khachatryan2021Outside the WireAction, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-FiMikael Håfström 2022Ukrainian / Vision of a ButterflyMilitary dramaMaksym NakonechnyiMilitary drama about an aerial scout with the call sign "Butterfly", who returns from captivity.2022MoldavianThe Road to War: IrpinDocumentaryViorika Tataru, Andriy Kaptarenko2022Вузький міст / The Narrow BridgeDramaBoris Kvashnev 2022 / ExchangeWarVladimir Kharchenko-Kulikovskiy2022Подвійний іммельманн / Double ImmelmannDramaVira Yakovenko2022Кордон / The BorderDrama, WarAndrey Kavun2022Лучшие в аду / Best in HellWarAndrey Batov2022Снайпер. Білий ворон / Sniper: The White RavenDrama, WarMaryan Bushan2022Клондайк / KlondikeDrama, WarMaryna Er Gorbach 2023EnglishSuperpowerDocumentarySean Penn, Aaron KaufmanA 2023 documentary about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The film profiles Volodymyr Zelenskyy's atypical career path through the eyes of Sean Penn as he seeks to understand Ukraine's recent history.2023UkrainianЕвакуація / EvacuationDocumentaryRostislav GerashchenkoFilm documenting the IBC, one of the most organized volunteer centers in the Irpin region during the Russo-Ukrainian war, and the evacuation of Irpin residents of the Buchan district.2023Ukrainian20 днів у Маріуполі / 20 Days in MariupolDocumentaryMstislav ChernovThe film tells the story of the twenty days Chernov spent with his colleagues in the besieged city of Mariupol in February–March 2022 in the first weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chernov compiled footage that he collected in Mariupol together with the team from PBS's Frontline and the Associated Press (AP).2023French / Ukraine, in the Traces of Executioners DocumentaryManon Loiseau, Ksenia BolchakovaThe film deliberates war crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the north of the Kyiv region during the occupation in 2022, including murders, torture, rape, and the deportation of children and adults. This investigation examines the war crimes committed and planned by Vladimir Putin and his regime step by step, based on witness statements and written evidence.2023 / The Way of GenerationsDramaVolodymyr Sidko2023 / Myrnyi-21WarAkhtem Seitablayev2023 / Call Sign "Passenger"Drama, WarIlya Kazankov2023Сірі бджоли / Grey BeesDramaDmytro Moiseiev2023 / Stay OnlineDramaEva Strelnikova2023 / WitnessDramaDavid Dadunashvili2023 Буча / BuchaThrillerStanislav Tiunov2023 / YurykDrama, Television film, WarOleksandr Tymenko 2023Новорічна зміна / New Year's ChangeTelevision filmYulia Pavlova2024RussianRussians at WarDocumentaryAnastasia Trofimova