Dogs and War in Ukraine 犬と戦争 ウクライナで私が見たこと
PRODUCTION NOTES
A documentary of hope, following those who risk everything to save innocent lives—three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Amid daily reports of the war’s devastation, documentary filmmaker Akane Yamada traveled to Ukraine about a month after the invasion to witness the reality with her own eyes.
Yamada has long explored themes of animal life, directing works like Dogs Without Names (2015) and writing the screenplay for Dog Club! (2021), covering disaster-hit areas such as Fukushima and Noto. With that background, she felt a strong sense of duty to document the lives of dogs on the battlefield.
“Dogs are the animals closest to humans,” says Yamada. “When you look at the world through their eyes, you see humanity more clearly. There are always people behind the dogs.”
This film captures the lives of dogs surviving in a war zone, as well as the tireless efforts of people from around the world who came to save them. Through the dogs, the film reveals the struggles of those affected by war and the universal longing for peace expressed from many perspectives.
STORY
In war-torn Ukraine, this is not a story of those who chose to fight—but of those who chose to save
In February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One month later, documentary filmmaker Akane Yamada—known for her work on the lives of dogs and cats in disaster zones—traveled to Ukraine to shed light on the lives often overlooked in times of war: the animals.
There, she came across a heartbreaking video that introduced her to what would later be called “The Tragedy of Borodianka,” where 222 dogs reportedly died in an abandoned shelter. What had happened to the dogs left behind in the war zone? Driven to uncover the truth, Yamada spent the next three years returning to Ukraine.
What she witnessed were dogs surviving under extreme conditions—and the strength and compassion of the people from around the world who risked everything to save them.
This is a story of hope, glimpsed through the darkness of war.
- Directed by
- Akane Yamada (山田あかね)
- Narration
- Masahiro Higashide (東出昌大)
- Japan release
- February 21, 2025
- Duration
- 109 min.
- Genre
- Documentary
- Technical Specs
- Color / 16:9 / Digital / 5.1ch