On October 14, see the documentary Can You Hear Me? the Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics, followed by a discussion with Alexandra Domaradsky (Razom for Ukraine), Dr. Anastasiia Vlasenko (the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University), and Sebastian Lindstrom (Head of International Cooperation at the Charitable Foundation Repower), moderated by award-winning journalist Jane Ferguson.

Filmmakers Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko followed a group of Ukrainian military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, witnessing an endless conveyer belt of severe injuries and deaths has taken a heavy toll on the medics’ mental health. Although crucial to address, the issue of their psychological well-being is rarely talked about and often overlooked, leaving them alone in this invisible battle.

As they find themselves in a peaceful, quiet environment in Sweden for the first time since 2022, the medics have a chance to process the accumulated trauma. Together, they open up about losing brothers-in-arms, surviving Russian captivity, and the inescapable feeling of guilt for not being able to save some of the soldiers they treated.

Filmed over the course of nine months, including multiple trips to the front line in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as well as a 10-day visit to Sweden, the documentary also highlights the work of Repower NGO, which brings groups of medics to mental health trips in Sweden, Denmark and Spain. Since the organization’s founding in 2023, 755 military medics have participated in their program.

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