Netflix documents Ukrainian struggle

Streaming service Netflix has acquired Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, and will launch it exclusively on October 9.

The documentary, from filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, chronicles events of the ongoing political crisis in Ukraine.

It follows events over 93 days in 2013 and 2014 that began with student protests supporting European integration and ended with the mobilisation of more than one million people fighting against political corruption and violence against citizens.

“Evgeny has assembled a cinematic tribute to the heroism, spirit and determination of the Ukrainian people,” said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix’s VP of original documentary programming. “We are honored to provide a global platform for him to share his powerful narrative.”

The documentary, described by Netflix as “harrowing”, debuts globally at the Venice Film Festival.

Netflix, Afineevsky-Tolmor Production, UkrStream.TV and SPN Production are coproducing, in association with Passion Pictures, Campbell Grobman Films and Rock Paper Scissors Entertainment.

Afineevsky and Den Tolmor produce with John Battsek, Lati Grobman, Christa Campbell, Nishimura, Adam Del Deo, Angus Wall, David Dinerstein, Andrew Ruhemann, Dennis L. Kogod, Nadine Khapsalis Kogod and Bohdan Batruch serving as executive producers.

Winter on Fire is the latest original Netflix documentary, coming after others such as Morgan Neville’s new Keith Richards profile Keith Richards: Under the Influence and professional ‘amateur’ pornography doc Hot Girls Wanted.