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Award-winning Ukrainian filmmaker and cinematographer Artem Ryzhykov transforms into a hardened professional soldier as he navigates the confusion, chaos, heartache and reality of modern warfare.
After Russia's 2022 invasion, Ryzhykov became a soldier in the Ukrainian army. But he also remained a filmmaker, often carrying both a camera and a gun. Joining the Territorial Defence Forces and given the nickname ‘Canon’, Ryzhykov attempts to grapple with military life alongside his comrades, while striving to stay connected with Irina, his young wife. As his experience grows, his perspective shifts – he is forced to come to terms with the pain of losing fellow soldiers as well as confronting the profound ethical dilemma of documenting war. An intelligent and searching documentary exploring honour, duty and the impact of conflict, A Simple Soldier is also a story of love, friendship and family.
Content Guidance: Film contains scenes of war, violence, bereavement and death.
After Russia's 2022 invasion, Ryzhykov became a soldier in the Ukrainian army. But he also remained a filmmaker, often carrying both a camera and a gun. Joining the Territorial Defence Forces and given the nickname ‘Canon’, Ryzhykov attempts to grapple with military life alongside his comrades, while striving to stay connected with Irina, his young wife. As his experience grows, his perspective shifts – he is forced to come to terms with the pain of losing fellow soldiers as well as confronting the profound ethical dilemma of documenting war. An intelligent and searching documentary exploring honour, duty and the impact of conflict, A Simple Soldier is also a story of love, friendship and family.
Content Guidance: Film contains scenes of war, violence, bereavement and death.
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Competitions
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Topics
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Premiere statusWorld premiere
Film details
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Director(s)Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz
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Country(s)Ukraine, USA, England
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Year2025
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Duration96 mins
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Producer(s)James Packer, Ben Silverman, Howard Owens, John Battsek, Marcel Mettelsiefen, Isabel San Vargas, Drew Buckley, Catalina Ramirez / Propagate Content, Andrew Corkin
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CinematographyRuslan Girin, Artem Ryzhykov
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EditingJesper Osmund, Inés Boffi Sae-Ammac
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SoundAndrés Velásquez, Úlfur Hansson
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Language(s)Ukrainian, English, Russian
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Sales CompanyDaniel Thunell / Propagate Content
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Certification
