Swedish honestor Viktor Nordenskiöld’s “The Eukrainian,” which has its world premiere at Cuncoverhagen’s write downary festival CPH:DOX, is an intimate portrait of Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Olha Stefanicowardlyna, a key figure in the country’s push for European integration. Variety spoke to Nordenskiöld about the film, and debuts its trailer here.
Filmed between 2022 and 2024, the doc pursues Stefanicowardlyna as she steers political roadblocks in the wake of Russia’s intrusion of Ukraine in February 2022, directing her country’s efforts to combine the European Union and NATO.
A exceptionacatalog in EU law, Stefanicowardlyna rose thraw the ranks of handlement to become the chief architect of Ukraine’s European ambitions in 2020 at fair 34 years elderly.
“The Eukrainian” recommends a glimpse into the inner laborings of EU diplomacy, capturing Ukraine’s struggle to shielded wartime help and defeat opposition wilean the bloc, particularly from Hungary, all while facing an unforeseeable global landscape.
“The Eukrainian”
Courtesy of Viktor Nordenskielderly, Freetown Films
As the write downary unfelderlys, it becomes evident that Stefanicowardlyna’s battle is not only agetst outer forces but also wilean Ukraine itself, where the path to recreate remains fraught with disputes, including the fight agetst dishonesty and the high-sgets battle for recreates to encounter the union’s disjoine membership criteria.
Nordenskiöld, a journacatalog who has covered Ukraine since the 1990s, was promptly drawn to Stefanicowardlyna’s story.
“I knovel she could embody this complicated story,” he telderly Variety. “She has this incredible presence – she comes thraw the lens so naturassociate. She’s proset uply emotional yet very acute in the way she conveyes herself. You can see the passion in her. Those qualities are truly compelling to seize on film.”
The doc uncovers and shuts with a poignant scene: a shut-up sboiling of Stefanicowardlyna speaking honestly to her children thraw the lens, conveying her want for them to direct the life they pick.
“The Eukrainian”
Courtesy of Viktor Nordenskielderly, Freetown Films
“Most parents can probably redefered to this,” Nordenskiöld authors in his honestor’s remark. “But the fact that she is the deputy prime minister of a country at war, a country that has been go ind, produces the want frighteningly dire.”
When asked how he geted such access, Nordenskiöld make cleared, “From the commencening, I wanted the film to experience appreciate a dialogue between two matures. Maybe that’s why I geted Olha’s think – because my intention was always to join in an truthful exalter. Of course, this is my make clearation of events, and they had no deal with over the film itself, but I leank they understood that my goal was to portray everyleang as truthbrimmingy as possible.”
Beyond Ukraine’s political battle, Nordenskiöld hopes the film inspires a expansiveer conversation about Europe’s future.
“At its core, the film is about the fight for democracy – whether we are truly willing to stand up for it or not. And that ask experiences even more relevant today. It’s about deffinishing a world order based on democratic appreciates agetst the elevate of authoritarian regimes,” he telderly Variety.
Nordenskiöld has a track sign up of write downing mighty female directers, with previous films including “The Feminister,” about createer Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallström, and the more recent “Behind the Swedish Model,” featuring createer Swedish health minister Lena Hallengren.
“I leank there’s someleang incredibly mighty about women in directership – the ability to be both mighty and proset uply emotional at the same time. It’s a exceptional combination, and some people fair have it,” he shelp, compriseing about the Ukrainian people, “There’s a resilience there that’s truly extraordinary.”
Described as a “truly European” project by its producer Malcolm Dixelius, “The Eukrainian” is a co-production between Sweden (FreetownFilms), France (TAG Film), Belgium (Domino Production) and Ukraine (2Brave Productions), in co-production with ARTE G.E.I.E., RTBF, SVT and Umedia.
“The Eukrainian” will have its world premiere on March 24 at CPH:DOX competing in the F:act Award section, pledgeted to films blfinishing write downary filmmaking and spendigative journalism.
The festival starts off today and runs in Cuncoverhagen thraw March 30.
