Khrystyna from Zolochiv at the "Molodist" Festival

Her story is the embodiment of unwavering courage and the relentless struggle for life.

Directed by Dmytro Todoriuk, with original concept and co-direction by Valeriia Nykyforets and cinematography by Yaroslav Savchak, the film not only touched the deepest chords of the audience's souls but also won top honors in the festival's documentary competition.

The documentary brings together four sincere and painful stories of Ukrainian children whose childhoods were brutally shattered by the war. At the same time, it is a film about incredible strength of spirit, the ability to dream, to seek light, and to hold onto hope even when the world around appears destroyed.

The Kharkiv region became one of those places where enemy tracks left deep and painful scars. The tragedy of Khrystyna's family struck suddenly: along with her closest relatives, she was traveling in a car to a cemetery when their vehicle hit an enemy mine.

That split second divided her life into "before" and "after." The girl's mother and brother died on the spot. Only Khrystyna and her father survived. Khrystyna suffered extremely severe body burns.

The film's footage gently yet candidly documents her long, grueling path to recovery: numerous surgical operations, pain, and a daily struggle to reconstruct her appearance and regain the ability to smile. However, the filmmakers' primary focus is placed not on the tragedy itself, but on the extraordinary resilience of the Kharkiv girl. Despite the immense grief she endured, Khrystyna continues to hold fast to her dreams and believe in the future.

 Beyond Khrystyna's story, the film details other trials endured by Ukrainian families:

Grandmother Zoya and Her Grandson Denys: Ms. Zoya, who holds the official status of a "child of war" from the Second World War era, faced the horrors of aggression once again in her twilight years. Together with her daughter Tetiana, she fought for the return of her grandson Denys from Russian captivity. A fortunate twist of fate — the young man's return during filming — granted the entire team and audience an unshakable faith in miracles.

Growing Up During War: The film explores the reality of children forced to mature far too early. Yet alongside the pain, the creators reveal childhood games, humor, first crushes, and genuine laughter — that natural light that cannot be extinguished.

The Language of Cinema Without Off-Camera Commentary The directorial debut of Dmytro Todoriuk and Valeriia Nykyforets (founder of the Together Charitable Foundation) was built on absolute trust and authenticity. The crew opted out of voiceover commentary and artificial interviewers, assuming the role of "invisible observers" to give the children the space to tell their stories in their own words.

"We discarded a voiceover right away because we didn't want to talk about the film's heroes instead of them. We wanted to show them... I want the international audience to recognize ordinary people and ordinary children in our heroes, realizing that they found themselves in an existential war in the very center of Europe," shares director Dmytro Todoriuk.

As reported by the Lviv newspaper Vysokyi Zamok, Valeriia Nykyforets initially pitched "War Has No Kids" as her graduation project while studying documentary filmmaking at the London Film Academy.

Due to the sensitivity of the topic and the involvement of minors, implementing the project within the academic program was not permitted. Consequently, she decided to bring the concept to life independently.

Later, the project passed the competitive selection of the State Film Agency of Ukraine and received production support.

"For me, what happens after the final credits is what truly matters. What the viewer will say to their child, what they will ask their own parents, and what they will no longer be able to remain indifferent to. Because the memory of war must build a sense of responsibility for the future," summarized the film's co-director and concept author in her interview with Vysokyi Zamok.

The core objective of the film is to preserve the documentary truth regarding the war crimes of the Russian Federation, prevent the romanticization of war, and remind the world that war should have no children. Moving forward, screenings are planned in schools to foster a responsible and conscious society.

More illustrations in the Ukrainian original.