Reel Ukraine

Zorianna and Roxy talk with Irish filmmaker Gar O’Rourke about his Ukrainian film, Sanatorium, an observational documentary selected as Ireland’s official Oscar entry. Filmed in a Ukrainian health resort during Ruzzia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sanatorium captures daily life and routines, finding unexpected humor, quiet moments, and a reminder of a war that's still ongoing. They also discuss Gar's earlier short Kachalka, filmed in Kyiv’s iconic open-air gym, and what it was like bringing this specific corner of Ukrainian life to the screen.

🎙️ In this episode, hosts Roxy and Zorianna interview filmmaker Joe Hill and producer Stefanie Noll to unpack their documentary Match in a Haystack. 🎥

💃 Their feature documentary follows a contemporary dance troupe in Ukraine navigating life in a war zone, grappling with the role of art during wartime while preparing for their first performance since the Russian invasion.

Joe and Stefanie share insights on the logistical challenges of filming in conflict zones, securing funding and distribution after the original company went bankrupt mid-shoot, and the notion of creative expression as an act of resistance during war. 🕊️ 🇺🇦

🎬 Match in a Haystack is currently available to watch on Roku, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming distribution platforms.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Match in a Haystack and its themes

01:56 The initial idea: documenting creation during war

04:06 Challenges of filming in Ukraine and securing funding

05:50 The significance of the front-line scene and emotional moments

07:57 The role of music and dance in storytelling

10:00 Safety, planning, and the realities of filming in conflict zones

11:59 Distribution journey of an independent conflict documentary

14:00 Collaborative process: directing movement and dance sequences

15:56 Music choices and working with Ukrainian artists

18:05 Building trust with subjects and capturing authentic moments

20:03 The emotional impact of creating art during war

21:54 The significance of the final performance and up-close filming

23:56 The power of community and support in independent filmmaking

25:54 The importance of cultural resilience and artistic expression

28:01 Closing thoughts and encouragement to viewers

Key topics

- Joe Hill explains that Match and Haystack began as an idea to document creation during wartime, not just destruction, with a focus on Ukrainian artists trying to make meaning through performance.

- Stefanie Noll shares how her background as a dancer, choreographer, and Ukrainian American shaped the film’s movement language and helped build trust with the performers.

- The team talks about how the project started as a Vice assignment, then had to be rebuilt independently after Vice declared bankruptcy mid-production.

- Joe describes the practical realities of filming in Ukraine on only 25 shooting days across two trips, then piecing together the film over roughly four months of post-production.

- The conversation goes deep on the film’s emotional center: a scene where one dancer visits her sister, a frontline soldier, to ask whether it is still right to dance during war.

- Stefanie and Joe both emphasize that the film treats dance as a universal form of expression, not just a visual flourish, and that the movement sequences are meant to function as narrative and emotional storytelling.

- They explain how the movement interviews were built in practice, with playlists, personal locations, two-camera setups, and prompts designed to draw out physical expression rather than scripted answers.

- Joe discusses the music strategy, which blends Ukrainian pop, club, folk, singer-songwriter work, and original composition by Ukrainian-American composer Katya Richardson.

- The team reflects on the difficult balance between safety and authenticity, including curfews, shelling, blackouts, and the strange contrast between everyday life and nearby violence.

- They also cover the film’s independent distribution path, including support from Misty Copeland, community screenings, and eventual availability across major platforms.

In this episode of Real Ukraine, hosts Zorianna Kit and Roxy Toporowych sit down with Academy Award®-nominated filmmakers Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo to discuss their documentary Armed With Only a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. 🎥

The film chronicles the life, work, and tragic death of acclaimed journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud, who was the first American journalist killed while documenting the war in Ukraine in March 2022. Craig, Brent's brother and longtime filmmaking partner, shares the journey of bringing Brent home from Ukraine and honoring his life through the 38-minute film. Juan, who was critically wounded in the same attack, reflects on their friendship, their work documenting conflict, and the challenges of surviving to tell Brent's final story.

This conversation is both a tribute to Brent Renaud and a testament to the courage of journalists who risk their lives to document the realities of war and ensure the truth is seen. It is also a reminder of the generosity and resilience of the Ukrainian people, whose compassion helped carry Brent home and save Juan's life. 🇺🇦

Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko joins Zorianna and Roxy on Reel Ukraine for a powerful conversation about documenting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a filmmaker, frontline soldier, mother, and survivor of sexual violence in captivity.

Picking up where Part One left off, this episode explores Alisa’s films We Will Not Fade Away and Traces. Together, the films examine Ukrainian teenagers growing up in the Donbas region during wartime, as well as the lasting trauma caused by sexual violence and torture during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

🎥 We Will Not Fade Away is available to stream on Klassiki. Traces premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026, where it won the Documentary Award, and continues to screen at festivals worldwide throughout 2026.

🇺🇦 Reel Ukraine has partnered with @klassikionline‬ to bring more Ukrainian cinema to audiences around the globe. Use discount code REELUKRAINE for 40% off a year-long membership.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Alisa Kovalenko on Filming the Ukraine War

00:09 – The Origins of We Will Not Fade Away

01:28 – Staying in Ukraine During the Full-Scale Invasion

02:43 – Following Teenagers in Donbas Over Three Years

04:16 – Hope and Resilience in Wartime Ukraine

07:08 – Why the Film Ends With Hope

09:29 – Ukrainian Youth Growing Up During War

11:09 – Connecting We Will Not Fade Away and Traces

13:14 – Surviving Russian Captivity in 2014

14:13 – Speaking Publicly About Sexual Violence in War

16:15 – Making Traces Without Exploiting Survivors

20:19 – Nature, Healing, and Trauma in Traces

23:30 – The Symbolism of Sunflowers in Ukraine

24:21 – Trauma, Memory, and Recovery

25:44 – Audience Reactions at Berlinale

28:43 – Looking Back at Alisa in Warland

29:37 – The Emotional Cost of Documenting War

30:07 – Advocacy, Ukrainian Law, and Seeking Justice

33:11 – Why These Stories Matter Beyond Ukraine

34:37 – Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

36:18 – Future Film Projects and Stories for Children

37:05 – Final Thoughts and Where to Watch

Filmmaker Michael Fiore joins Roxy and Zorianna to discuss his documentary "Veselka," a portrait of the iconic Ukrainian restaurant in New York City and its deep roots in both the Ukrainian community and the city at large. What began as a film about a beloved East Village institution took on new urgency after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as the restaurant became a gathering place, a lifeline, and a show of support and solidarity.

Michael shares how he went from longtime Veselka patron to director, and how he set out to capture the heart of a family-run business shaped by generations of tradition. He shares the realities of making an independent documentary, working with actor David Duchovny to narrate the film, and collaborating with six-time Grammy-winning saxophonist David Sanborn on the score.

“Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World” is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Canopy, and other streaming platforms.

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What happens when a zoo becomes a war zone?

Zorianna and Roxy speak with director Joshua Zeman about Checkpoint Zoo, a powerful documentary following Ukrainian volunteers on the outskirts of the city of Kharkiv who risk their lives to save more than 5,000 animals from a beloved zoo caught directly in the line of fire during ruzzia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

As bombs fall on Kharkiv, Zeman chronicles a daring rescue mission about a group of unlikely heroes evacuating lions, bears, chimps, kangaroos, and other species using nothing but instinct, courage, and cell phones.

Executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, with viral video footage spotlighted on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Checkpoint Zoo captures compassion, innocence, and the instinct to protect life when everything else is falling apart.