Genre
Synopsis
At the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Vakulenko was dragged from his home by Russian-backed soldiers and never seen again. His family was hopeful that he was still alive. But on day three of filming, our team stumbled upon a photo of Vakulenko's body, riddled with bullets and decomposing. We informed the family of the tragic news, and, together with a team of war crimes investigators and Ukrainian writers, set out on a mission to find out what happened and who was responsible. Unexpected tragedy reveals just how high the stakes are for these activists and for the future of Ukraine.
Bio
Amanda Bailly is an award-winning independent filmmaker with experience telling sensitive human stories that advocate for change. She has worked, both on-staff and as a consultant, for Human Rights Watch for more than a decade, and produced short films for Amnesty International, the United Nations, and others, while living and working in Beirut until the start of the pandemic. She now resides in upstate New York.
Amanda’s feature documentary 8 Borders, 8 Days (2017) highlighted the plight of one Syrian mother and her two kids as they fled the war in Syria for a new life in Europe. The film was given several awards on the festival circuit, and was the centerpiece of a global advocacy campaign to improve refugee policies. She traveled extensively, to big cities and small towns, to speak about refugee welcoming. The film is still used in high schools and universities curricula today.
Credits
Director - Amanda Bailly
Producer - Amanda Bailly
Cinematographer - Amanda Bailly
Executive Producer - Zach Goldbaum
Producer - Anton Shtuka
