Review of Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015) by Alex G — 08 Apr 2016

Inspiring, nicely edited, and extremely informative, Winter on Fire takes the viewer dangerously close into the action of the Euromaidan protests that began in 2013 in Ukraine. Not only was it one of the best documentaries of 2015, but one filmed under extremely risky circumstances amidst a heartbreaking, but courageous fight.

Director Evgeny Afneevsky provides us with the privilege of experiencing almost first hand, a 21st century revolution and its quick escalation. It is incredible to see the struggle from the very first day which began with a few protestors that were violently dispersed, turning into riots the next day, and a large scale protest within the next month. If you were not quite sure of what was happening in Ukraine a few years ago, this is the documentary to watch.

I usually judge what seems like a one sided documentary, and Winter on Fire is obviously one. However, it is hard to think otherwise when we can see the obvious abuse of power and corruption from the government, as well as the hundreds of thousands of people affected by this and fighting for the same cause. Winter on Fire is more than an outstanding documentary, it is a very intimate look at the struggle of the Ukranian people and their "will to change life in Ukraine.".

And just as a side note, this should have won Best Documentary Feature in the 2016 Academy Awards. It did not.