At Lithuania’s international film festival Nepatogus kinas, running from 5 to 25 October, the documentary films “A Simple Soldier” by Artem Ryzhykov and Juan Camilo Cruz and “Cuba & Alaska” by Yehor Troyanovskyi about the war in Ukraine will be presented as part of the “Blue Yellow” programme. This is stated on the festival’s website.
According to the description, “A Simple Soldier” is a feature-length film in which Ryzhykov, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and took the call sign “Kenon”, documented his transformation from storyteller to warrior over three and a half years. At first, every explosion stuns him, forcing him to hide on the floor of a barricaded kitchen, and the shocking scenes from the front near Irpin seem almost like unreal footage from a film. However, gradually the boundary between imagination and reality is erased. Euphoria and sensitivity disappear, and the war changes the way the world is perceived. The protagonist grows increasingly distant from himself and from civilian life, and the emotional strain no longer finds an outlet.
The film is a co-production between Ukraine, the United States and Britain. Among the companies that produced the film is the Ukrainian production outfit Erzya Films.
At the festival, screenings will take place on 7 October at the FC Vingis cinema and on 21 October at SKALVIJA in Vilnius, with Lithuanian and English subtitles.
According to the description, “Cuba & Alaska” by Troyanovskyi tells the story of the friendship between two young paramedics with the call signs “Cuba” and “Alaska”, who work in the Kharkiv region. Despite evacuations and night-time call-outs, they find time to talk about fashion collections and art — a life that seems far away on the front line.
“Cuba & Alaska” was made in collaboration between Ukraine (a co-production with Suspilne), Belgium and France. The co-producer was Olga Bregman, co-founder of the Ukrainian company 2Brave Productions.
The film’s world premiere took place at Sheffield Doc Fest in the United Kingdom.
In addition, as part of the “Blue Yellow” programme, the documentary “The Great Patriotic Trip” by Czech director Robin Kvapil will be screened, about a journey by Czech Putin supporters to Ukraine’s front-line territories.
According to the description, Czechs Nikola, Ivo and Petra responded to Kvapil’s announcement, “Do you believe the war in Ukraine is a hoax? Become the hero of a new film”, who sympathise with Putin’s Russia and doubt the scale of the war in Ukraine. Agreeing to the director’s proposal, they travelled to Kharkiv, where they came face to face with the reality of the war, which contradicts their beliefs. Kvapil set out to explore the profound impact of propaganda, when personal truth becomes more important than other people’s lives.
The trip was coordinated with the Czech Ministry of the Interior and the Security Service of Ukraine. The film was produced by the Czech company Punk Film.
As part of the festival, screenings of “The Great Patriotic Trip” will take place on 10 October at FC Vingis and on 23 October at SKALVIJA.
About Artem Ryzhykov:
- Ukrainian director and cinematographer;
- after the full-scale invasion, he joined Kyiv’s Territorial Defence;
- in July 2026, he became a laureate of the national film award “Golden Dzyga” in the “Discovery of the Year” category.
About Yehor Troyanovskyi:
- Ukrainian director and film editor;
- his works include the films “Rear”, “Airfield” and “Bes”;
- in 2025, the film “Cuba & Alaska” was screened at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
About Nepatogus kinas (Uncomfortable Films):
- an annual international documentary film festival on human rights;
- founded in 2007;
- organised with the support of the Lithuanian Human Rights Centre;
- the festival includes meetings with directors, discussions with human rights advocates and experts, and exhibitions.