Two Ukrainian Documentaries Selected for DocFest International Competition
Two Ukrainian films — Cuba&Alaska by Yehor Troyanovskyi and Shards of Light by Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz — will compete in the International Competition of the Sheffield DocFest 2025, the UK’s largest documentary film festival, The Gaze reports, citing Suspilne.
“This year, we’ve gathered the most powerful short and feature documentaries, series, podcasts, talks, and immersive works from across the globe,” said Raul Zambrano, the festival’s creative director.
The documentary Kuba&Alaska by Yehor Troyanovskyi follows Kuba and Alaska, two Ukrainian female paramedics and close friends, whose bond is tested the longer they serve on the front lines.
Their story reflects the experiences of many soldiers whose ties to civilian life weaken as the war drags on.
Filmed between 2022 and 2024, the documentary captures locations that are now either occupied by Russian forces or destroyed.
Set in Bucha, the Ukrainian city occupied early in Russia’s 2022 invasion, Shards of Light by Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz documents how its people strive to move forward even as war crimes continue to haunt them.
Children return to school, widows rebuild their homes, and new couples marry — even while soldiers prepare to return to the front.
The film explores the emotional complexity of postwar recovery in a society scarred by trauma, where new divisions slowly emerge with time.
Founded in 1994, Sheffield DocFest has grown into the world’s third-largest documentary festival and has been described by the BBC as “one of the leading showcases for documentary cinema.”
This year’s festival runs from June 18 to June 23, 2025, showcasing 116 films (82 features and 34 shorts) from 68 countries.
Read more on The Gaze: Ukrainian Animated Film 'My Grandmother is a Skydiver' Selected for Cannes