The Azovstal Girlfriend

Mariupol, Ukraine. Olia Maliuchenko is a Ukranian woman waiting every day for the return of her husband, after he was captured by the Russian army and made a prisoner of war in Mariupol's Azovstal Steel factory. With is fate hanging in the balance daily, she remembers him through a series of poems they once exchanged before he disappeared.
In June 2022, I traveled to Ukraine with a movie camera and a passion to record the stories of everyday Ukraines affected by the war. I knew no one and had no connections. But i was welcomed by the Ukrainian people everywhere I went. Their stoicism and calm during this tragic time profoundly moved me and led me to document a series of short film stories about them. I will continue to produce these moving forward to honor the courageousness and sacrifice of the Ukranian people.
Rick Ray is an American filmmaker best known for his 2006 documentary film 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama which he wrote, filmed and directed. In 2022, Ray headed to war torn Ukraine for a 5-week exploration of the traumatic effects of war on Ukraine’s people. He documents his experiences and the Ukrainian story in a series of short video pieces which are garnering worldwide attention.

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Incredible. Heartbreaking.