Author:
Khrystyna Tymofiichuk
Sofia left her hometown of Kramatorsk, went through a challenging adaptation process in a new place, and dreams of becoming an actress. Bozhena, fleeing the war, found refuge in Truskavets, where she became the voice of children who, like her, lost their homes. Marko and Mariia from Kryvyi Rih, a city constantly under shelling, continue their struggle: Marko learns to accept his story through art, while Mariia, actively engaged in community work, is building her future in Ukraine. Anna from Kharkiv dreams of becoming an architect and rebuilding her native city. Veronika, who survived the occupation of the Chernihiv region, finds therapy in horseback riding. Valeriia, whose parents took her to Germany, is still searching for an answer — to return or build her future abroad.
These stories of Ukrainian teenagers experiencing the hardships of war became the core of the feature film Generation. Teenagers created the piece together with Ukrainian director Marysia Nikitiuk.
Recently, the Voices of Children Foundation presented the film at the Zhovten Cinema in Kyiv, along with the story of its creation. For five months, as part of the Storytelling in Cinema lab, one of the Foundation’s programs, director Marysia Nikitiuk and psychologist Daria Parshintseva met with the children weekly. They wrote scripts, expressing their emotions and experiences through text. The course culminated in a 7-day lab in the mountains, where the children filmed their stories united into the film Generation.
These stories of Ukrainian teenagers experiencing the hardships of war became the core of the feature film Generation. Teenagers created the piece together with Ukrainian director Marysia Nikitiuk.
Recently, the Voices of Children Foundation presented the film at the Zhovten Cinema in Kyiv, along with the story of its creation. For five months, as part of the Storytelling in Cinema lab, one of the Foundation’s programs, director Marysia Nikitiuk and psychologist Daria Parshintseva met with the children weekly. They wrote scripts, expressing their emotions and experiences through text. The course culminated in a 7-day lab in the mountains, where the children filmed their stories united into the film Generation.
When the full-scale war began, I felt everyone around was making decisions: whether to attack or not, to capture Kyiv in three days, or to provide assistance. I felt like I wasn’t deciding anything, and this feeling lasted for a long time... How can you cope when reality affects you so intensely? For me, it was through the art of writing stories. When you have accumulated psychological energy and don’t know how to handle it, you need to channel it somewhere,
One of the protagonists and co-authors of the film, 17-year-old Sofiia Opanasenko from Kramatorsk, is now living in Kyiv due to the occupation of her hometown. Her mother saw the announcement for the course and suggested it to her daughter.
At first, I wasn’t enthusiastic about it at all; I was depressed, lying in bed, not wanting to do anything. I felt happy to make it through the selection when I got admitted into the course. Then, a psychologist and the director worked with us, gradually giving new information and sparking our interest. In the end, I am very grateful for this project because I made my life interesting again and started to see my future,
This is the second joint art course by the Voices of Children Foundation and Marysia Nikitiuk. The foundation's co-founder, Olena Rozvadovska, who spent five years in Eastern Ukraine helping children living near the frontline, explained why supporting children through their wartime experiences is so important.
I vividly remember starting working with children in frontline villages close to the conflict line. It was hard to grasp that children who used to go to school could no longer do so, that children who played with their friends in the yard no longer did, because the frontline was nearby, and everyone had left. That’s when I clearly understood that children and teenagers need communication and the realization that they are not alone in experiencing this war,
During the discussion “Growing Up During War” film panel that followed, the head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 2022, Oleksandra Matviichuk, spoke about how the stories of children resonate on the international stage amid the full-scale invasion.
It breaks my heart that our children have to go through this. I feel a great responsibility and fear of leaving this war as their legacy. These times mark the collapse of the entire international system of peace and security. It doesn’t work. Previously, this might have been obvious to children in Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, or Venezuela. Now even adults in stable societies begin realizing that they live in the illusion of security, human rights, and an international system that protects them,
Matviichuk also noted that Russia's war against Ukraine is the most documented in human history. Ukrainian human rights organizations have recorded 81,000 episodes of Russian war crimes, including against the youngest civilians. That is why the voices of Ukrainian children on the international stage are more important than ever.
Somehow, I want to believe that when the world hears our children, it will understand things that are hard to grasp when you’re just reading the news, watching videos, or flipping through photos. If we can’t fully convey it, maybe the children can — what it means to fight for your freedom, for your human dignity against this Russian war machine,
Olha Aivazovska, head of the board of the Civil Network OPORA and an expert at the International Institute for Ukrainian Victory, which partnered with the event, also participated in the discussion. According to her, the testimonies of Ukrainian children, who have become civilian victims of Russian war crimes, often resonate louder and more powerfully on international platforms than the words of any politicians.
We visited parliaments in the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. The testimonies of these children and teenagers are valuable because they are genuine. Children and teenagers are a universal mechanism for telling the truth because they are the truth. They cannot embellish or fake tears like actors can. That raw emotion or even just a calm recounting of a real story is far more impactful than reports by lawyers, analysts, or speeches by politicians,
Representatives of European diplomatic missions, numerous non-governmental organizations, and the film and theater community attended the premiere. Renowned Ukrainian director, playwright, and actor Vladyslav Troitskyi was genuinely moved by the film and the teenagers' stories, emphasizing that art holds immense power and is capable of influencing significant decisions and driving change.
When art touches the heart, it transforms consciousness, and consciousness has the power to change the world. Watching films like this one, you feel that not all is lost. These teenagers possess the truth of life, faith, and humanity,
The film Generation will soon be available at festivals and on film platforms. The course Storytelling in Cinema was possible to make with the support of Choose Love — an international charitable organization founded in the United Kingdom. Choose Love assists people affected by war, violence, and persecution.
The Voices of Children Foundation works on new art courses that will help teenagers cope with the challenging experiences of war through art. Join us in supporting these teenagers and their creativity with your contribution.
The Voices of Children Foundation works on new art courses that will help teenagers cope with the challenging experiences of war through art. Join us in supporting these teenagers and their creativity with your contribution.
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