BDE takes a closer look at Dmytro Hreshko’s documentary Divia, pitched at this year’s New Visions Forum, hosted by Jihlava 2024. The film, fully financed and currently in post-production, examines the environmental impact of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine.
Budget at around €348,000, Divia chronicles Ukraine’s journey through the devastating impacts of Russian aggression and its lingering consequences: forests scorched to ash, fields marred by explosions, and abandoned military wreckage scattered amid dangerous minefields. In this desolation, nature stands as a silent witness, beginning the slow process of healing from the scars of war. Through a meditative, dialogue-free narrative, the film follows de-miners, body searchers, environmentalists, and animal activists as they navigate the wreckage, working to measure the tragedy’s impact and restore Ukraine’s delicate ecosystems.
The documentary feature is being produced by Polina Herman for Ukraine’s UP UA Studio, Glib Lukianets for Poland’s Gogol Film, and Richard Valk for the Dutch firm Valk Productions.
Producer Herman, originally from Ukraine and now based in Los Angeles, highlighted that the project has been in the works for two years. Hreshko, an environmental activist and documentary filmmaker, admitted: “It’s hard to put some emotions into words because most of them are inside this project – it’s really personal, and it’s hard to realise how many natural resources have been destroyed, mined, or occupied by Russian military forces.”
“When I come here, I see so many beautiful lakes, forests, hills… It’s really awesome… But what if all this beauty were to disappear? This project focuses primarily on loss. That being said, I believe in freedom and preservation, which will defeat the ideas of occupation and exploitation,” he continued.
Before embarking on the making of Divia, Hreshko released his short Save me, doctor! in 2020, receiving awards at the 14th Lviv International Short Film Festival “Wiz Art” and at Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist. In 2021, his first feature doc Mountains and Heaven in Between, premiered at the 19 Docudays UA. The international premiere took place at Sheffield DocFest and was later screened at FIPADOC, DOK Leipzig, and Krakow Film Festival.
Herman and Hreshko explained that in Slavic tradition and folklore, Divia is associated with nature spirits and wild, untamed feminine forces. The name derives from the root word “div,” meaning “wild” or “sacred,” often connecting to spirits of the forest or wilderness. In some contexts, Divia can symbolise a female guardian or a goddess of the wild, embodying the spirit of the woods, untamed lands, and animals. She is sometimes seen as a protector of nature or as a spirit who helps maintain balance in wild environments. Therefore, Divia is also “the main character of this film,” the director emphasised before showing the film’s teaser.
“We’ve finally completed almost a year of editing, and now the film is picture-locked. This week, we started colour grading in Sweden, and we’re continuing to work on the score, which is set to play a significant role.” The composer is award-winning artist Sam Slater, best known for scoring high-end productions such as the HBO series Chernobyl (2019), Todd Philips’ Joker (2019) and Joker: Folie à Deux (2024). The team is now on the lookout for festival premieres, sales agents, and distributors.
