Trailer of the film "Peaceful People," featuring intercepted russian conversations by the SBU, released online

On August 29, the documentary film “Peaceful People” by Oksana Karpovych will begin screening in Ukraine. The film's world premiere took place at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention from the ecumenical jury and a Special Mention from the Amnesty International Jury in the Forum program. The official Ukrainian trailer for the film has now been released online.

The film consists of intercepted conversations of russians and landscapes of Ukrainian cities and villages affected by the war. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian special services have published hundreds of intercepted phone calls of russian soldiers. The conversations of the occupiers with their loved ones in Russia are of particular interest. The voices of "peaceful" civilians—mothers, wives, and friends—reveal to the world not only the course of the so-called "special operation" but also the horrifying inner world of the society behind it. The film is composed of such intercepts, exploring the nature of russian imperialism and colonialism, the role of propaganda in the invasion, and touching on the issue of collective responsibility of russians.

The film's release is limited—viewers will be able to see it in select cinemas starting August 29. The schedule will soon be available on the film's page.

For director Oksana Karpovych, this film is her second directorial work. She is known for her film “Don't Worry, the Doors Will Be Opened,” and at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she worked as a local producer for foreign news outlets.

The Ukrainian side's producers are Olga Beskhmelnitsyna (“Baikonur. Invasion,” “Stop-Zemlya”) and Darya Bassel (“A House Made of Splinters,” “The Editorial Office”). 

France also joined the production, with French editinf director Charlotte Toures, known for her work on the documentary “There Will Be No More Night” by Eleonore Weber.

“Peaceful People” has been featured in programs at international festivals worldwide—from Hong Kong to New York. At the Hong Kong International Film Festival, it received a Special Mention, and in Krakow, it won the Silver Horn award for the director for a socially-themed film and the FIPRESCI prize from the International Federation of Film Critics. The Ukrainian premiere of the film took place at the Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, where it was presented as the opening film.

The edition Variety notes that "The film shows why this war continues," while ScreenDaily describes the viewing as a true "intellectual experience." Cineuropa writes that the film "reveals the shocking depravity of russians," and Ukrainian film critic Daria Badior for LB.ua media states that "Together with “20 Days in Mariupol” by Mstyslav Chernov, “Peaceful People” is a concentrated testimony of russian crimes." Ukrainian Forbes called the film "an unconventional road movie," while Lirum emphasizes, "Karpovych shows that russians are largely not bearers of Chekhov's social dramaturgy values.”

Official media partner: Kyivstar TV

Media partners: Suspilne Kultura, Moviegram