The "Scars" Project: Kharkiv Press Club Documentarians at the Berlinale for the Third Time

This is not merely cinema—it is a visual forensic examination of crimes against humanity, recorded "on the heels" of events across the Kharkiv region. The Kharkiv Press Club remains the only creative institution in the region to have won the right to represent the oblast on such a high-level international stage three times in a row.

The "Scars" project is a documentary investigation that prevents the world from forgetting how the full-scale war began for Kharkiv. The authors pose difficult questions: What sustained people during the darkest times? What scars did the war leave in the souls of those who survived?

 Every story is a blow to the heart:

• "Ground Floor": The horror of Izium, which rivals Bucha in the scale of its tragedy. Mykhailo Yatsentiuk's account of having to collect fragments of his relatives' bodies into a single coffin after they spent a month under the rubble.

• "A Torture Chamber for One Family": The story of the Haponenko family from Kozacha Lopan, where occupiers imprisoned everyone—mother, son, daughter-in-law, and daughter.

• "Imprints of Death": The tragedy of Lidiya Derenko, who spent ten days trying to reach her husband, who died in a locked apartment during shelling.

• "A Burnt Life": An inhuman crime in Kharkiv, where the fire was so intense that the body of a 10-month-old infant was turned to ash.

• "The Last Book of Writer Vakulenko": Details of the exhumation in Izium and the fate of children's author Volodymyr Vakulenko (body No. 319), whose murder became a symbol of the destruction of Ukrainian culture.

• "They Are Just Children": An appeal by 15-year-old Marharyta Pochepetska from a bomb shelter, recorded in February 2022—a cry for help to the entire world.

   

Tragically, one of the team’s finest directors and editors, Yevhen Karmazin, died in October 2025 in Kramatorsk from a Russian Shahed drone strike while filming his new work. Two of the six documentary films he co-created with screenwriter Nataliya Bilokudrya are included in the 2026 E-catalog.

The Kharkiv Press Club has demonstrated not only civic courage but also the highest level of professional excellence. Striking narratives are paired with brilliant cinematography, where every frame serves as a historical document.

— We aimed to convey the "nerve" that every Kharkivite feels. This is our history, filmed in real-time, — emphasizes Oleksandr Shvets, head of the Kharkiv Press Club and leader of the documentary team.

The world must see not only our destruction but also our strength to rebuild upon the ashes. The Press Club team is a well-coordinated organism of talented directors, cinematographers, and journalists who have learned to work in extreme conditions while maintaining artistic quality and ethical depth.

Today, this team is in excellent creative shape. They are not just recording the past; they are ready for new challenges and new heights. This success confirms that a powerful center for documentary filmmaking has formed in Kharkiv, capable of competing with world-class studios.

The immense experience gained during the filming of "Scars"  suggests that these individuals have the potential to create cinema that not only documents but also transforms worldviews, fighting for justice for Ukraine on the cultural front.

The films are also available for viewing in English.

Films in the series: Ground Floor, A Torture Chamber for One Family, A Burnt Life, Mark of Dead, The Last Book of Writer Vakulenko, They Are Just Children!