Oleksandr Shvets: "Our Film Chronicle of the War is the Voice of Kharkiv Region Heard by the World"

Two investigation films from the "Kharkiv Region: Destroyed, but Unbroken" cycle (the "SCARS / Сліди" project)—"Burned Life" and "Torture Chamber for One Family"—have once again been included in the national E-catalog.

We spoke with Oleksandr Shvets, Chairman of the Board of the NGO "Kharkiv Press Club" and General Producer of the project, about how a frontline media center became a platform for creating high-level documentary filmmaking, the price of documenting the enemy's crimes, and how cinema becomes a tool of cultural diplomacy.

— Oleksandr, congratulations to you and the entire team! Having the works of the Kharkiv Press Club included in the 2026 Ukrainian Motion Picture Association catalog is a major achievement. What does this mean for the team?

— Thank you! When we were just starting this project, none of us thought about catalogs, awards, or film ratings. With the start of the full-scale invasion, our guys who worked with us on the "Gromada Group" project went to fight, and one was wounded. So we asked ourselves a question: what is the mission of journalists in this war?

We decided that we were obligated to preserve the media network and create a new project that would document every crime of the occupiers in Slobozhanshchyna.

Thus, an ambitious goal was born—to create a large-scale cycle of 60 documentary films in Ukrainian and English.

And today, when you see the works of the Kharkiv Press Club in the catalog of the Ukrainian Motion Picture Association alongside leading filmmakers and producers of Ukraine, it is professional recognition. It is proof that our frontline documentary work has reached the level of quality cinema.

— Unfortunately, this recognition came at an extremely high price...

— Yes, this is our pain that will never fade. The talented director and editor Yevhen Karmazin died in October 2025 in Kramatorsk from a Russian "Shahed" drone while performing his professional duties. He gave his life so that the world could see the truth.

His films, created in a creative duet with screenwriter Natalia Bilokudra, were included in the 2026 E-catalog. This was his last project as a documentary director. For us, these are not just films—they are a living memory of Zhenya.

In total, about 20 documentarians from Kharkiv and neighboring regions took part in the project.

Behind every frame stands the extraordinary courage of the authors, camera operators, and editors. All of us understood: the collected evidence is not just a news story; it is evidence for international tribunals and a future chronicle for our children.

— Two investigation films from the "SCARS / Сліди" cycle are presented in the catalog. What specific events do these films cover?

— These are investigations into specific war crimes committed against civilians in the Kharkiv region.

The first film is "Burned Life." It is dedicated to a terrible tragedy in the Nemyshlyanskyi district of Kharkiv that occurred on the night of February 10, 2024.

As a result of an enemy strike on an oil depot, a fuel spill occurred, causing a massive fire that completely burned down private homes.

Whole families burned alive in this fire. In particular, the family of Olha Putyatina: along with her, her husband Hryhoriy and their three sons died, the youngest of whom was only 10 months old.

The combustion temperature was so high that even the baby's bones turned to ash... This is a film about the inhuman cruelty of the enemy and irreparable human grief.

The second film is "Torture Chamber for One Family." The film records the tragic stories of real people who found themselves at the epicenter of the occupiers' atrocities during the shelling and occupation of the Kharkiv region.

It shows how the Russian army purposefully destroys the civilian population, leaving behind ruins, broken lives, and pain that remains with people for the rest of their lives.

— The press club's investigative journalism stands out not only for its strong facts, but also for its very expressive camerawork...

— This is entirely the merit of our film crew. Our camera operators and author-director teams worked on ashes, ruins, and in de-occupied towns and villages. Their skill lies in conveying emotion through the frames, catching detail, showing this "imprint of war," but doing so honestly, professionally, and with deep respect for the victims and witnesses.

We strived to capture people's emotions and create a real chronicle. Every film is an artistically and documentarily comprehended story.

— You showed your films in hotels that were later destroyed by Russian missiles. Is this also part of your history?

— Yes, the first presentation of the project took place in May 2023 at the Kharkiv hotel "Optima." Later, the Russians struck it with a missile.

The same fate befell "Kharkiv Palace," where we also presented our films. Foreign and Ukrainian journalists always stayed in these hotels.

Targeted strikes on them are a conscious intimidation by the enemy so that the media would be afraid to work in Kharkiv. But it did not stop us.

That is why the vector of cultural diplomacy is extremely important to us. Russia is committing not just military aggression on our land, but cultural and environmental genocide—from the purposeful destruction of the Hryhoriy Skovoroda Museum to the destruction of architectural heritage. They strive to rewrite history and destroy the evidence of our existence.

All 60 films of the project are translated into English. Having the works of the Kharkiv Press Club included in the Ukrainian Motion Picture Association catalog allows us to present them at international venues, film markets, and before foreign diplomats. The language of documentary cinema breaks through the wall of indifference better than dry statistics.

— Despite the losses and danger, the press club and the network of local media "Gromada Group" continue to work. What keeps the team going?

— The awareness of duty. As our colleagues say: we do this so that our children and the children of our friends never forget what Russia is, and so that these crimes never happen again.

We continue to shoot, document, and expand the "Gromada Group" network. And our biggest dream is to shoot that very 61st film. A film about the Victory of Ukraine, the reconstruction of Slobozhanshchyna, and the peaceful future of unbroken Kharkiv. And we will definitely shoot it.

NGO "Kharkiv Press Club" is an independent media organization that has been implementing large-scale documentary and analytical projects since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The "SCARS / Сліди" project ("Kharkiv Region: Destroyed, but Unbroken" cycle) is a series of 60 documentary investigation films dedicated to documenting the consequences of Russian aggression, war crimes, and stories of the region's residents' resilience.

Currently, the electronic catalog of Ukrainian films and services 2026 is already available – you can view and download it at the link.

· In the catalog: 400+ Ukrainian films – animated, feature, documentary, and short films at various stages of production; 65+ companies offering professional services in the field of filmmaking; Calendar of major industry events in Ukraine in 2026

· The E-catalog of Ukrainian films and services will be presented as part of the national stand during the European Film Market (EFM, Berlinale 2026).

· Annually, the e-catalog is presented at international markets of "Class A" festivals and other key events of the industry.