At the invitation of Bohdana Telychuk, a first-year fellow of the Teach for Ukraine Fellowship program, documentary filmmaker Yevhen Matviienko visited the Hrebinka Research Gymnasium. He presented his project Varta, which portrays the war through the stories of powerful individuals.
Students from grades 8 and 9 watched two films: Cherubim, which honors the heroes of the 11th Separate Army Aviation Brigade “Kherson,” and Storm Tamers, about the tank crews of the 25th Airborne Brigade.
“In the first short film of Varta, Yevhen used the symbolic and deeply moving words of my close friend, Danylo Denysovych, who died in the war last year. I first met Yevhen at a screening of the film at Danylo’s parents’ house. The film was incredibly powerful — I immediately invited him to our school, and he responded with genuine warmth and enthusiasm. I’m so glad we could share this project with our students and teachers,” Bohdana shared.
“My students were fully engaged: some were deeply focused, others moved to tears, some actively joined the discussion with the filmmaker, while others wrote long messages of gratitude. The experience truly resonated with them. Yevhen himself left a strong impression — he spoke passionately and held everyone’s attention. I’m grateful to be able to connect my students with people and projects like this — it’s something they will remember and that will shape their perspective,” she added.
In addition to the screenings, students had the chance to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work of documentary filmmaking — including the challenges of filming in real combat zones and the role of such films in preserving the truth of wartime events.
Events like this go beyond cultural enrichment. They bring young people closer to today’s reality — and to the extraordinary individuals shaping it.
