Tickets: Free (or $10 donation to the Human Rights Watch Film Festival)
**Streaming as of March 13!**
"Despite the ongoing brutality, the nation is not on its knees. The movie’s essence is singing, hugging, volunteers bearing gifts, and children drawing pictures for the soldiers who are keeping them safe. That's beauty: People who know how to laugh and love." – filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky
Freedom on Fire is a behind the scenes and beyond the headlines view of the war in Ukraine from the Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire). This is filmmaking from the heart, beautifully capturing the resilience of the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian invasion. A logistical tour de force – with 43 cinematographers (including the filmmaker) filming in over 20 Ukrainian cities – Freedom on Fire captures the stories of children, mothers, soldiers, doctors, artists, volunteers, clergymen, and journalists – as we witness the transformation of a country fighting for its very survival.
In Ukrainian and Russian with English subtitles.
A post-screening discussion with filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, Canadian journalist Lisa LaFlamme, Director of Education at the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium Valentina Kuryliw, and HRW's Crisis and Conflict Director Ida Sawyer, who will unpack the ways in which she and others navigate this space and how this conflict disproportionately affects women and girls.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL // MARCH 8-19: The Human Rights Watch Film Festival (HRWFF) bears witness to human rights violations in direct storytelling and exposé form, and creates a forum for courageous individuals on both sides of the lens to empower audiences with the knowledge that personal commitment can make a difference.
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Watching online? The film will be available for 48 hours from when you start the stream. Please note streaming is only possible from inside Canada. For additional assistance, visit our FAQ page or email us at streamingsupport@hotdocs.ca.