Rise and Shine World Sales has secured international rights to Elwira Niewiera’s documentary “Women and War,” which follows four Ukrainian women, all survivors of war crimes, undergoing trauma therapy in the Ukrainian mountains. The film is set to world premiere in the Main Competition at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, taking place Nov. 12-22.
“Women and War” follows the personal journeys of Olena, Yuliia, Iryna and Lena, who survived the nightmares of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. Over the course of one year, the film follows the women through long-term therapy in the remote Ukrainian mountains, where they slowly begin to heal under the care of therapists and psychologists.
Having survived captivity, torture, sexual violence, months hiding in dark basements and the loss of loved ones, each woman follows her own path toward recovery. The therapy provides them a safe space to confront the lasting effects of their traumatic experiences and gradually regain emotional and physical balance. Through their stories, the film offers a female-focused perspective on resilience, inner strength and the struggle to reclaim their lives.
Niewiera says, “For years, I’ve been working alongside women in Ukraine who have survived war crimes, and one thing has become very clear: for them, the war does not end when the weapons fall silent. It remains present in their thoughts, in their bodies, and in their daily routines. Violence against women in conflict is still frequently ignored, despite the fact that rape and torture are deliberately used as tools to break women and destabilize entire communities.”
She added, “As a filmmaker and as a woman, I felt a responsibility to give these women a space where their voices could be heard. I didn’t want to define them only through their trauma. I wanted to show their courage, their strength and the small steps they take toward healing.
“There are very painful moments, but there is also warmth, empathy. For me, it was important to show that these women are much more than their traumatic experiences. I want this film to give these women back their dignity and show the world how incredibly strong and determined they are to reclaim their lives. For me, making this film was also a way of taking action. I wanted to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of war and the urgent need to support survivors worldwide.”
Anja Dziersk of Rise and Shine said, “It is well known that violence against women has been used as a weapon of war for centuries. But it is hard to think of a film that places the horrors of imprisonment and torture in a context that draws the viewer in on such an emotional level. Elwira Niewiera shines a light on the fact that war is not waged only on the battlefield. We admire the courage and strength of these women, who open up in conversation and confront their trauma as part of the healing process. This is a film about life. About how you can go on after the unimaginable has happened to you.”
“Women and War” is produced by Hans Robert Eisenhauer for Germany’s Ventana Film, Maciej Kubicki for Poland-based Telemark and Natalia Krasilnikova for Art Dialogue in Ukraine. It is co-produced with ZDF and TVP, in cooperation with ARTE.
Niewiera’s previous works, “The Hamlet Syndrome” (2022), “The Prince and the Dybbuk” (2017) and “The Domino Effect” (2014), have screened at major festivals including Venice Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, IDFA, Hot Docs, DOK Leipzig and Krakow Film Festival.