Kyiv Independent documentary 'Can You Hear Me?' to premiere in Australia
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A documentary by The Kyiv Independent about Ukrainian military medics working on the front lines of Russia’s war will have its Australian premiere in Sydney on May 7, 2026.
The screening of “Can You Hear Me?” will be followed by an online discussion with the film's authors, The Kyiv Independent journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko, as well as a presentation of Letters of Appreciation to three Australian men who fought in Ukraine as volunteers.
The screening will be held at the New South Wales Parliament House Theatrette. It will be part of a larger event co-hosted by Australian officials, Federal Senator for NSW and Co-Chair of the Australia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group Deborah O'Neill and NSW MP for Auburn Lynda Voltz, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Embassy in Australia and the Ukrainian Council of NSW.
Register to attend using the link below:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1574118
The documentary follows a group of Ukrainian military medics as they travel from the chaos of front-line service in Ukraine to the quiet forests of Sweden, where they take part in a short mental health retreat in spring 2024 — their first time away from the war since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
After years of witnessing a constant stream of severe injuries and death, the psychological toll on military medics has become immense. Despite the critical role they play in sustaining Ukraine’s defense, their mental health struggles are rarely discussed and often overlooked, leaving many to fight an invisible battle on their own.
“Over a year after the premiere of our film in Kyiv, it means a lot to me to have it finally screened in my hometown of Sydney,” says Farrell, an Australian citizen who moved to Ukraine in 2022.
“Australia is lucky enough not to be threatened by wars of aggression, but the fact that people are still choosing to spend their time to see the faces and hear the stories of those saving lives on the front line day in and day out proves how that distance is just a number. It's a particular honor to be joined by Australian soldiers who joined the battle for Ukraine's existence themselves.”
“People are the most important and essential resource in this war. Every day, dozens of soldiers on the front line sustain injuries of varying severity, some of them fatal. Combat medics are the first to reach the wounded, and a soldier’s fate often depends on their work. However, after providing first aid, medics themselves sometimes need help. Witnessing injuries and death on a daily basis takes a heavy toll. Coping with the psychological impact of such work is no less difficult,” says Zashko.
“The war in Ukraine has been going on for 12 years. Some of the protagonists of our film were saving soldiers’ lives even before the full-scale invasion. The people we spoke with repeatedly mentioned exhaustion and depression associated with their work as medics. This film is an attempt to show what it means to be a combat medic in Ukraine and why mental health is the foundation of this work,” says Zashko.
“Can You Hear Me?” premiered in Kyiv on Dec. 12, 2024, and has since been screened in 24 countries, including the United States, multiple European countries, and China. Most of the screenings were organized with the support of Ukrainian and Swedish diplomatic missions. Some screenings were held at embassies and at the European Parliament.
The film was produced over nine months and included multiple reporting trips to the front line, as well as a 10-day mental health retreat in Sweden organized by Repower, a Ukrainian charitable organization.
The film will be screened in Ukrainian with English subtitles. WARNING: The film contains graphic scenes. They are intended to reflect the harsh realities of war, but they may be distressing to some viewers.
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