Staying

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, millions of people fled the country to find safety and shelter across Europe. According to the Centre for Research & Analysis of Migration, almost 22 million people have left Ukraine in that time, though more than 13 million have since returned.

Of course, in a country of around 41 million, many more remained and saw their lives changed forever under bombardment of missiles and ground troops.

The experiences of those living in the capital, Kyiv, during the initial days and weeks of the invasion have now informed Those Who Stayed, a six-part fictional anthology series tackling a range of different subjects by a roster of leading Ukrainian talent in front of and behind the camera.

Produced by Ukraine’s Film UA and distributed by Red Arrow Studios International, filming wrapped in May after a six-week shoot – a remarkable feat considering the invasion began just 15 months earlier.

“Now we have completed production, it seems even more magical because the reality is that even in normal times, it’s not often you can do a TV series in a year,” producer Kateryna Vyshnevska, Film UA’s head of development and coproductions, tells DQ. “The war started at the end of February last year and, for at least a month, everyone was in a state of a shock. The whole [television] industry stopped but, on a personal level, each one of us was dealing with our own individual circumstances and trying to get to safety and worrying about families.

“For a month, maybe more, it was not even possible to think in terms of what we would do next. You are in this survival mode.”

But when survival gave way to anger, the team at Film UA harnessed a determination to get back to work and to continue to tell stories – stories that would immediately become more meaningful to people both in Ukraine and around the world.

“The war made everyone realise we are in this together, it is not just