Ryan Smith is the director and producer of Soldiers of Song, a documentary about music in Ukraine which premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and is out now on digital. His previous Emmy Award-winning documentary, NFL 360: Who If Not Us, told the story of a group of football players in Ukraine who, in the midst of the chaos of the Russian invasion, volunteered to protect their families and defend their country. This theme is a thread that runs through Ryan’s filmmaking journey.
As Ukraine continues its fight for survival, I reflect on the incredible people I’ve met while working on my films Who If Not Us and Soldiers of Song. Who If Not Us is an Emmy-winning documentary that follows Ukrainian football players as they fight on the frontlines, while Soldiers of Song, which premiered at Tribeca, captures the extraordinary journey of Ukraine’s most beloved musicians as they unite their war-torn nation through the transformative power of music. These projects introduced me to Ukrainians whose resilience, courage and love for their country are truly inspiring. Whenever I talk with them, their words carry the weight of loss, the strength of determination, and an unshakable belief in Ukraine’s independence.
While filming Soldiers of Song in Lviv, we were walking through Rynok Square when something stopped us in our tracks. A group of teens, six girls and four boys, stood on the street, singing Ukrainian folk songs. The passion behind their voices was breathtaking, each note filled with raw emotion. They were holding a sign that read they were fundraising for their music teacher’s military brigade.
Their teacher had volunteered to join the war effort, and these kids, feeling helpless in the face of it all, had found a way to contribute. We’ve all had that one teacher we admire, someone who shapes our lives, and the thought of them going off to war is unthinkable. Yet here these kids were, channeling their love for their teacher into song, doing whatever they could to help. One of the singers, Ptashka, said, “Ukrainian song gives us the inspiration to fight and stand on our feet.”
It was an incredibly emotional performance, and just as they finished, the air raid sirens started blaring. The contrast between the innocence of their music and the reality of their situation was jarring, but it underscored just how deeply the war had touched every part of life in Ukraine.
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I was in Kyiv with a few friends from Who If Not Us when the air raid alert went off, and we had to head down to the basement of the Hilton to take shelter. While we were down there, Yurii Gundych, a soldier and one of the central figures in Who If Not Us, shared a sobering thought about Ukraine’s place in history. He said, “The world is scared – scared to call evil what it is. It was the same in the 1930s when Hitler was allowed to take small pieces of Europe. Now, the world is afraid to face what’s happening here.”
Andriy Zaretsky, another soldier from Who If Not Us, who had just become a father again, added, “If we lose, millions of us will be killed, just like during the Holodomor. If the war gets frozen, Russia will only get stronger. But if we win, we’ll rebuild and come back even stronger. I’m fighting for that third option, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.”
As I sat there, I cherished every minute with them, unsure of what the future holds for this country. Despite everything, these people continue to push forward without self-pity, and with clarity and resolve.
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While in Kyiv, I had the chance to meet Katya Tymchenko, a documentary filmmaker working on a new project about street mural art in Ukraine. Over coffee at a café called Honey, she showed me footage on her laptop from her new documentary, Palyanytsya, about two graffiti artists from Los Angeles who travel to Ukraine to paint murals. These murals, created to help communities affected by the war, are more than just art – they offer hope to children, grandparents and everyone in between.
Katya shared her thoughts on Ukraine’s future: “Ukraine will be a prosperous country because of the people who defend it. Many will want to live here. We are showing the world how to keep our heads up and fight the strongest evil.” Her belief in a positive future for Ukraine is evident in the passion she brings to this project.
My editor from Soldiers of Song, Kadim Tarasov, is now working with Katya Tymchenko on the edit for Palyanytsya. As we review early cuts, we’re exploring new ways to tell stories about Ukraine through documentary, aiming to bring something fresh to a genre already filled with important work. Kadim’s role is pivotal: his focus is on preserving and exporting Ukrainian culture, showing the world who Ukrainians really are, and why it’s critical to support them now more than ever.
The last time I saw Kadim, he gave me a bottle of horilka – Ukrainian vodka – featuring an image of a Ukrainian soldier giving a Russian warship the middle finger. This image refers to Roman Hrybov’s defiant words to the Moskva on February 24, 2022: “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.” What was initially thought to be the border guards’ final words quickly became a rallying cry for Ukraine.
When I asked Kadim about his thoughts on the latest diplomatic discussions, he put it simply: “Bro, the truth is behind us, which means God is behind us. That says it all.”
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At King’s College London, in front of 300 students and professors, I watched Soldiers of Song with one of the singers in the film, operatic baritone Sergiy Ivanchuk, who had been shot five times, including near his lungs. It was his first time seeing the film, and he was deeply moved. He shared, “This film strips away all illusions and shows the raw truth. Simply being alive is the greatest privilege. I saw people lose their lives in minutes, and that changed my perspective. Many never had the chance to live.”
He also spoke about the sacrifices made: “The graves of our boys – young men who never got to wear a suit at their own wedding – stand as proof of broken promises. The world must awaken before it’s too late.”
He concluded, “Now, my life is about helping Ukraine and inspiring others to appreciate life more. My dreams haven’t changed, but my priorities have. I’m grateful for that.”
As Sergiy’s voice soared through the room, singing the Ukrainian anthem, the audience joined in, tears flowed freely, a testament to the power of the moment, as the entire room was united in an unspoken bond of grief and hope.
Featured image shows singer and U.S. veteran Mark J. Lindquist, Ryan Smith and Yurii Gundych, one of the subjects of Smith’s Emmy-winning documentary Who If Not Us. All images and video courtesy Ryan Smith.
