When War came to our Newsroom
Editorial meetings in bomb shelters, frontline investigations, the death of a colleague – Ukrainian journalists from Radio Free Europe report on the war in their homeland, experiencing it firsthand every day.
Mass graves in Mariupol, child abductions to Russia, atrocities by brutal mercenary troops – journalists from the Ukrainian investigative news project “Schemes” run by Radio Free Europe have spent two years reporting on the war in their homeland and experiencing it firsthand every day. This series offers a glimpse into their lives.
Editorial meetings in bomb shelters, frontline investigations, the death of a colleague – all this is part of the journalists’ new reality. The highly professional and dedicated members of the team demonstrate the critical role fact-based journalism plays in Ukraine’s still fledgling democracy. As chief editor Nataliya Sedletska stresses: “What good would it be to win the war against the Russians if we lose Ukraine in the process?”
The series sheds light on the work but also the personal lives of the journalists as they grapple with the grim realities of war. On 28 April 2022, Russian missiles targeted a residential building, killing Radio Svoboda journalist Vira Hyrych. Struggling to come to terms with her loss, fellow journalist Serhiy Andrushko decides to make a film about the circumstances of Hyrych’s death. The series reflects on the collective trauma experienced by people throughout Ukraine.
Episode 1: DEATH IN KYIV
Natalie Sedletska heads the investigative editorial team SCHEMES at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. At the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, Schemes reports from a makeshift office in Lviv. On her smartphone, Natalie witnesses a missile strike in Kyiv that kills her colleague Vira Hyrych. June 2022: The SCHEMES editorial team returns to the capital. Serhiy Andrushko wants to make a film investigating the events that led to the death of his colleague Vira. But there are so many other stories to be told: The whole world knows about Butscha or Irpin, but who has heard of Andriivka? People also died there under Russian occupation. Serhiy begins to investigate…
Episode 2: CALL IN RUSSIA
Dmytro Dzhulay is on the trail of the perpetrators: civilians were murdered in the village of Zdvyzhivka during the Russian occupation. Dmytro talks to witnesses and manages to identify three suspected perpetrators. One of them is celebrated in the Russian media as a war hero. Kyrylo Ovsyaniy is a specialist in open source intelligence. With the help of satellite images and databases, he debunks the Russian propaganda about the “rescue” of Ukrainian children by Putin’s child rights representative Maria Lvova-Belova. Dmytro has tracked down the phone numbers of the alleged Russian war criminals from Zdvyzhivka. He wants to confront them on the phone with the results of his research.
Episode 3: INVESTIGATION IN BAKHMUT
At the front near Bakhmut, Valeria and Kira interview a Ukrainian officer who confirms the existence of an unknown Russian mercenary force called Redut. Dmytro is still waiting for his call-up orders. Will he soon have to say goodbye to his young daughter? Back in Kyiv, Valeria and Kira analyze their research: with the help of the mercenary troops, the Russian military is concealing how many men it has now recruited for the war in Ukraine. Cameraman Kyrylo Lazarevych says goodbye to his colleagues from SCHEMES. He has volunteered to go to the front. Editorial director Natalie Sedletska struggles with his decision.
A series by Dominik Wessely
Editing & Storytelling Marcel Ozan Riedel
DoPs Carl Gierstorfer, Vanessa Schlesier, Sebastian Weis
Color Grading Knut Schmitz
Music Tim Stanzel
Production Manager Arndt Fehl, Nele Huff, Stefanie Kaiser, Mykyta Pavlov
Head of Production Ko Miklik
Series Producer Antje Boehmert
Commissioning Editor ARTE/br Fatima Abdollahyan, Petra Felber, Monika Lobkowicz
A Production by DOCDAYS Productions in coproduction with BR in association with ARTE.
World Sales: Newdocs
Film Funding by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
Length: 3 x 30 Min
Release Date: 2024
Editorial meetings in bomb shelters, frontline investigations, the death of a colleague – Ukrainian journalists from Radio Free Europe report on the war in their homeland, experiencing it firsthand every day.
Mass graves in Mariupol, child abductions to Russia, atrocities by brutal mercenary troops – journalists from the Ukrainian investigative news project “Schemes” run by Radio Free Europe have spent two years reporting on the war in their homeland and experiencing it firsthand every day. This series offers a glimpse into their lives. Editorial meetings in bomb shelters, frontline investigations, the death of a colleague – all this is part of the journalists’ new reality. The highly professional and dedicated members of the team demonstrate the critical role fact-based journalism plays in Ukraine’s still fledgling democracy. As chief editor Nataliya Sedletska stresses: “What good would it be to win the war against the Russians if we lose Ukraine in the process?” The series sheds light on the work but also the personal lives of the journalists as they grapple with the grim realities of war. On 28 April 2022, Russian missiles targeted a residential building, killing Radio Svoboda journalist Vira Hyrych. Struggling to come to terms with her loss, fellow journalist Serhiy Andrushko decides to make a film about the circumstances of Hyrych’s death. The series reflects on the collective trauma experienced by people throughout Ukraine.
A series by Dominik Wessely
Editing & Storytelling Marcel Ozan Riedel
DoPs Carl Gierstorfer, Vanessa Schlesier, Sebastian Weis
Color Grading Knut Schmitz
Music Tim Stanzel
Production Manager Arndt Fehl, Nele Huff, Stefanie Kaiser, Mykyta Pavlov
Head of Production Ko Miklik
Series Producer Antje Boehmert
Commissioning Editor ARTE/br Fatima Abdollahyan, Petra Felber, Monika Lobkowicz
A Production by DOCDAYS Productions in coproduction with BR in association with ARTE.
World Sales: Newdocs.
Film Funding by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH
Length: 3 x 30 Min
Release Date: 2024