When Ben Tiede and I (Patrick Marsh) went to Ukraine, we weren’t sure how to prepare for what we were about to face.
The truth is we couldn’t. However, what surprised us the most was how deeply invested we found ourselves in the hearts of the people we met. The goal of our trip was to sit with Ukrainians in their grief - to understand and listen to their hearts, to be there as they processed what had happened. We were able to do that on a level that surpassed anything that we had wildly hoped for.
Our original intention was to create a 10 minute documentary, but we heard so many unique stories that we decided to expand our scope to do the stories justice. Now, we’re aiming for a medium to long form documentary. We conducted 27 interviews throughout the nation to paint a portrait of living in a country at war, and collected over 120 hours of footage that illustrated that. Instead of relying on narration or archival footage, we’re aiming to convey the first-hand experiences of the Ukranians through their own voices, as they tell their own stories.
EXAMPLES OF INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED
A mother talked about her final moments with her daughter and husband, who
were killed in a missile strike a month before we interviewed her.
A pastor recalled driving to the frontline of Bakhmut to deliver supplies to con-
scripted congregates as mortar shells and mines went off around him.
A young soldier spoke about how he lost his leg during the invasion of Mariupol, and was subsequently captured by the Russian army.
This documentary is an incredible opportunity to get a glimpse of what Ukraine is going through. Ben and I feel strongly about the need to share these stories in America, through which we hope to bring awareness to the continued needs of the Ukrainian people.
WHERE WE’RE AT
We’re currently in the process of translating the interview conducted, and are beginning the process of writing the documentary script. Additionally, we’re also working on other deliverables like a photobook and videos for social media.
Funds are needed for editing, various licenses, scoring the film, animation, graphics, screenings and entering film festivals. All of these things are vital and hugely important to creating a final product that tells the story well.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
- You are supporting a project that is giving a voice to the voiceless, and portraying truth.
- You will receive weekly email updates on the project, thus seeing exactly where your money goes. You will get to witness the project evolve, receive exclusive content, and previews of the documentary.
- Your name will appear in the end credits, unless specifically stated otherwise, as a token of gratitude for your generosity.
WHAT’S NEXT
As we begin the writing stages, we will be putting lots of time into crafting the story. Eventually, we’re intending on finishing the project this fall, and screening this film at universities, churches, and film festivals around the globe, with the goal of making this streamable and easily accessible.
However, we need your support to finish this film with the quality and excellence that this story demands. We truly believe it is incredibly important and that the world needs to understand and empathize with Ukrainians, more than ever before.
Thank you so much for your support,
Patrick Marsh & Ben Tiede
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