Through the eyes of two refugees, we can understand the fallout.
 | By Christine Kecher Senior Commissioning Editor, Op-Docs |
More than five million Ukrainian children have been displaced since Russia's invasion. Andrei and Alisa, who left Ukraine at age 16 in the spring of 2022 and relocated to Budapest, are two of them. In our new Op-Doc "Away," we see through their eyes the collision of childhood and war, and the innumerable difficulties that displaced young people face, including separation from family members (both Andrei and Alisa migrated without their parents), disruptions to their education, mental health challenges and economic instability. |
Andrei and Alisa, whom we are identifying by first name only for their privacy, spend some of their time caring for younger refugee children. In a scene from the film, Andrei asks the children to draw something they remember about Ukraine that makes them happy. One young boy draws a map and speaks in stunningly adult terms about the war. "Our city is occupied," he says. "Because Melitopol is the gate to Crimea. They want to gain an overland route to Crimea"; he draws a line on his map to demonstrate. Andrei tells another young girl who is struggling with her drawing, "Someday, this war will be over. And everything will be OK. I promise." |
"I know," the girl says uncertainly, turning away. |
While we can't know how the war will ultimately shape each of these children, what is clear is that the conflict has resulted in the near-complete disruption of everyday life for a huge proportion of young Ukrainians. Andrei's and Alisa's grief is immense, yet they must find a way to move forward. This film, from the director Ruslan Fedotow, follows them as they try to build a life for themselves in an unfamiliar place. |
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