Kyiv Independent’s film about military medics will be screened in 6 more European cities

The Kyiv Independent’s documentary about Ukrainian military medics who save lives on the front lines of Russia’s full-scale war will be screened in six more European cities in March 2025.

“Can You Hear Me? The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics” will be shown in Brussels, London, Strasbourg, Paris, Amsterdam and The Hague.

All screenings will be followed by discussions with the film’s authors, journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko. The tour is organized in partnership with the Repower charitable organization that provides mental health retreats for Ukrainian medics.

The film’s authors followed a group of military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat in the spring of 2024.

Witnessing an endless conveyor belt of severe injuries and deaths since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 has taken a heavy toll on the medics’ mental health. Although crucial to address, the issue of their psychological well-being is rarely talked about and often overlooked, leaving them alone in this invisible battle.

As they find themselves in a peaceful, quiet environment in Sweden for the first time since 2022, the medics have a chance to process the accumulated trauma, opening up about losing brothers-in-arms, surviving Russian captivity, and the inescapable feeling of guilt for not being able to save some of the soldiers they treated.

The film premiered in December 2024 in Kyiv and was followed by a tour across nine European capitals.

"Since our last screening tour to Poland, Germany, and the Nordic and Baltic countries, it's fair to say a lot has happened. It is now more and more clear that the fate of Ukraine, and of Europe, is something that our neighbors on this continent, in the EU and NATO, will have to grasp and shape with their own hands, however scary that action may be. Given this, we believe it is all the more important that supporters, decision-makers, and ordinary people in Western Europe can watch our film and be reminded who the people defending the frontiers of freedom are, and why they and Ukraine need more bravery to end this war sooner with a just and secure peace," says Francis Farrell, a co-author of the film.

“When we showed our documentary in Europe in December, I realized something simple yet important. People in different countries who watched the film told me that they saw the real faces of this war — people who were still fighting for their independence. Here in Ukraine, we see these people on our streets every day, but for the foreign audience, this isn’t common,” says Olena Zashko, a co-author of the film.

“When I told one of our main characters, Misha, that people in Europe say he is a hero, he was confused. He said, ‘I am not a hero. Heroes are people who fight on the front line. I just save people’s lives.’ This is exactly what our film is about — ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things," she adds.

“Can You Hear Me? The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics” took more than nine months to produce, involving multiple trips to the front line in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as a 10-day visit to Sweden.

The retreat was organized by the Ukrainian-Swedish charitable organization Repower. Given unprecedented permission from the Ukrainian high command, Repower takes hand-picked groups of medics for mental health retreats in Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. Since the organization’s founding in 2023, 847 military medics have participated in their program.

“At this defining moment in global history, Ukraine stands as the front line of Europe’s values and security. As the U.S. turns away, the burden of leadership falls squarely on Europe’s shoulders. The question is clear: Do we have the courage and conviction to uphold our fundamental responsibility — to defend our shared values and ensure that no aggressor can invade a sovereign nation and walk away unchallenged?” says Sebastian Lindstrom, a senior project coordinator at Repower.

“This screening tour brings the raw reality of war to the halls of power across Europe. Through the lens of the Kyiv Independent’s front-line journalists, we are forced to confront our moral compass. The combat medics, surgeons, and doctors who risk their lives daily to save others — they embody the sacrifice and duty that must inspire our response. Their struggle demands more than words, it demands action.”

The film will be screened in Ukrainian with English subtitles (in France, with French 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.

Register to attend for free by link:

Brussels. Cinéma Aventure, March 5, 19:00

London. Genesis Cinema, March 10, 18:00

Strasbourg. Cinéma Star St-Exupéry, March 11, 19:30

Paris. Club de l'Etoile cinéma, March 13, 19:30

Amsterdam. Time and location are TBC, March 16

The Hague. Filmhuis Den Haag, March 17, 16:00

The film was also released on the Kyiv Independent’s YouTube channel.

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