After the screening, the director joined the discussion online to talk about the story that moved everyone in the room and to seek answers to difficult questions:

Have we changed during the war?

What are our true, rare resources?

Cinema that speaks simply and frankly

“This story is so truthful and moving that I couldn’t watch it without tears,” shared viewer Olena Pavelchak. “If not for the war, the film’s protagonists would be studying, working, falling in love. Instead, they live in a reality of the front line, loss, and daily risk. Yet it is precisely such young people who are our most valuable resource.”

The film Where’s My Body Armor? tells the story of young soldiers forced to grow up amid the turmoil of war. It is a story of courage, exhaustion, loss — and at the same time, of the inner strength that keeps them going.

Telling the truth is the only condition

During the meeting, Daria Penkova spoke about how the idea for the film was born:

“When I decided to make a film about my friend Andrii and his brothers in arms, they agreed immediately. The only condition was to show the truth as it is. Without embellishment. I didn’t consult anyone during editing, but when the protagonists saw the finished film, they said everything turned out honestly.”

Photo: Director Daria Penkov

The audience asked whether the director was keeping in touch with the protagonists and if she planned to make a second part about who they will become after the Victory. Daria openly admitted that she kept in touch with them and dreamt of continuing their story.

Personal and professional

During the conversation, director Daria Penkova shared that her older brother, a soldier, became both her inspiration and first critic:

“My brother was the first viewer of Where’s My Body Armor?, and he praised the film highly. His opinion is the most precious reward for me.”

Our rare resource is people

Summing up the meeting, the discussion participants reached a shared conclusion:

“Our rarest resource is people. Different — with their own pain, aspirations, dreams. But we are all united by a common goal: the Victory and the rebuilding of Ukraine.”

Photo: online discussion of the film Where’s My Body Armor?

After the screening, the audience shared their emotions and impressions, thanking the director for the sincerity and depth of her work. Many admitted that the film encouraged them to look at the war not through news reports, but through human stories — candid, without glorification, yet filled with a deep love for life.

Author: Olena Mirkhaidarova

The 22nd Travelling Docudays UA is held with the financial support of the European Union, the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, and International Media Support. The opinions, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily correspond to the views of the European Union, the governments or charities of these countries. Responsibility for the content of the publication lies solely on its authors.