Fipadoc : 5 Visceral Documentaries From Ukraine’s Frontline You Must See in 2026
Four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine - and 12 years since the annexation of Crimea - Ukrainian filmmakers and storytellers are relentlessly putting themselves on the line to document and share how they’re fighting back against the incursion of a cruel and criminal military superpower.
This year, Fipadoc is showing it’s support for a cultural community operating under extreme duress as part of ‘Ukrainian Season’, a joint initiative of the French Institute and Ukrainian Institute in France, screening five films made by Ukrainian filmmakers.
Five films that have a completely unique take on the war and the profound impact it’s having on Ukrainian society. Five films shot on the frontline that encourage us to imagine how we would feel if it was us who had to fight, five films that communicate the visceral effects it can have on the psyche : making us flip lifelong principles, risk our lives and careers, or leave our children before theirs have even started.
Here are five films on Ukraine you must see in 2026…
1. 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov
One Ukrainian platoon's mission: traverse a heavily fortified mile of forest to liberate a strategic village from Russian forces: Andriivka. A journalist accompanies them, witnessing the ravages of war and the growing uncertainty about its conclusion.
No film has come as close to realistically portraying the bleakness of the modern battlefield as 2000 Meters to Andriivka. After making his Oscar-winning film 20 days in Mariupol, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov has produced a stomach-churning hour and forty-six minutes and an instant icon of war cinema.
He successfully conveys the fatal cost of every inch of land won back from the Russians, deconstructing the viewer’s news-driven macro view - based on numbers, data and maps - back down to a devastating human scale.
A prize-winner at Sundance and now nominated for a BAFTA, the film is widely available on streaming platforms.
2. Cuba & Alaska by Yegor Troyanovsky
Leaving their civilian lives behind, two young Ukrainian women enrol in the army as military paramedics. There they find violence, pain and sadness, but also friendship, love and dreams of a life without war.
Director Yegor Troyanovsky started filming in the summer of 2022, capturing both moments of respite and joy during rotations and the stark horrors of war, where battles against death and the loss of comrades cast long shadows.
The pair face challenging tests of fate: life-changing injury, heartbreak… and amidst this grim reality, dreams of a peaceful future become more and more elusive. Yet, Cuba and Alaska demonstrate remarkable resilience despite the scars they carry.
World premiering at Sheffield Docfest in 2025, Cuba & Alaska is more than a war film, it’s a documentary about the longing for a life without war.
3. Another Man’s Diary by Oleksandr Tkachenko
Dmytro Dokunov, or Dok, a Director of Photography living in an eco-community, is drafted into a combat unit to face the Russian invasion. With his phone and GoPro, Dok films himself on the frontline while his voiceover guides us through a dual transformative experience: becoming a Ukrainian “war hero” while striving to keep his humanity and ability to wonder.
A rare film, being released on Arte in February 2026, and a precious glimpse into the war experience of a once pacifist and artist.
4. My Dear Théo by Alisa Kovalenko
When Russia invades Ukraine in the spring of 2022, mother, soldier and filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko enlists as a soldier to defend her country. My Dear Théo is a series of letters to her young son Theo, sent from the frontline.
Through Alisa’s camera, we experience the harsh reality of the Ukrainian frontline, from the quiet moments of reflection and camaraderie, to the sudden chaos when the Russians attack. But most of a soldier’s time is spent waiting, and this is the time when the inner turmoil is greater than the ferocity of the battlefield.
My Dear Théo is above all an existential, heartbreaking and deeply personal film created with almost unimaginable courage. A vital testimony to what is actually at stake in Ukraine, and a fundamentally moving film against any kind of war.
World premiering at CPH:DOX in 2025, the film is not yet widely available.
My Dear Théo by Alisa Kovalenko
5. War on Art by Andrzej Miękus
The fight to preserve Ukraine’s artistic legacy takes on new urgency. If Ukrainians do not save their culture from destruction, the country will not survive. So on the day of the full-scale invasion, the Google locations of Ukrainian museums are deactivated and Ukrainian art goes underground.
Lacking official guidance, a courageous network of volunteers emerges. Armed only with determination, they embark on daring missions to safeguard art from public and private collections, risking their lives to preserve Ukraine's cultural identity.
Thousands of works are lost, damaged or looted by the invading army.
Through powerful stories, gripping re-enactments, and an exploration of Ukraine’s contemporary art scene, War on Art reveals that art is more than a passive witness to history. Art is a force for a nation’s survival.
The film sin’t yet widely available but collective screenings can be requested by your organisation or collective.
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