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I just saw this brilliant documentary at the Portland Film Festival. Journalist (and now filmmaker) Oz Katerji captured the moment peaceful Ukraine was turned into a war zone on February 22, 2022. Sensing a Russian invasion was immanent, Katerji was reporting from Kyiv as Russian tanks rolled across the border. He chronicled the brutality of the invasion in real time, including the slaughter of civilians in Bucha, outside Kyiv. But more to the heart of the story is how Katerji caught the mobilization of everyday Ukrainians into an instant fighting force to defend their country.

There's lots to love about this film, but one scene sums up the humanity of the documentary. Katerji asks a purple haired lesbian, who has joined the military to protect her girlfriend, what she thinks about people who think Ukrainian fighters are all Nazis. In broken English, she looks at that camera and says, "I just say, fuck Russia." This film needs to be seen and Ukraine needs to be defended.

I don't think I've ever seen a documentary that's as exhilarating and hardcore as this one. Katerji weaves a number of narratives together carefully, telling a complicated story that follows multiple plot lines, while engaging in some pretty extreme action.

I think it's unfortunate that some of the major festivals haven't given this film a fair shake, but was glad that it won best documentary at the Portland Film Festival. It definitely deserves recognition. I really thought this movie was incredible, and I hope people see it, because the message at the end of the day is one of hope and freedom.

Went and saw the premier of this documentary tonight (note: 19 October- previous reviews were before it was ever even released!) and was blown away. Gripping interviews, excellent humanization of an often-dehumanizing conflict. As a Ukraine researcher it accurately portrayed events in Kyiv in those early, dangerous days.

Oz is clearly passionate about the subject-matter, and as one of the very few journalists to stick around in Kyiv during the initial battles, his story and coverage is somewhat unprecedented. There will be myriad documentaries made in the years that follow about this war, and while some of them may tell a wider story of the war, The Battle of Kyiv will remain among the best (and is currently THE best) films done about the battle for that crucial city. Do not miss this film,

This film was so informative with boots on the ground perspective which surpasses the abbreviated snapshot we usually see in the news. The extended access the journalist/film maker, Oz Katerji, had to political figures gives credence to this film. It was horrific following the Russian invasion and killing of civilians. The determined bravery and courage of the Ukrainian civilians is humbling. I can see why this film won best documentary at the Portland Film Festival. The film maker's live, extended discussion expanded insights to the complexity of the issues as well as enriching a global perspective.

There is such an opportunity for a powerful and enlightening documentary about this horrific war, but unfortunately this is not it. The doc purports to show at close-quarters a heroic defence by brave fighters of their homeland, but any value in their story is completely undermined by the distractingly shoddy filmmaking.

The camera work is appalling - it's as if a child was asked to film the thing and given no instruction. The narrative is incoherent, you get no sense of the wider context or why we should care about these stories - it's a total mess. For what should be an intense and powerful tale, you end up yawning and thinking that if the film-makers couldn't be bothered to take this undertaking seriously, why should I?

There have been already been some great long-form reports on this conflict that - Channel 4 in the UK have shown many. This is a travesty and to be avoided.

I had the privilege of watching The Battle for Kyiv at the Portland Film Festival screening Oct 29, 2024, and it left a profound impact on me.

The documentary captures a crucial moment at the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where the nation's fate rested on the courage of ordinary Ukrainians defending their country, their sovereignty, and their very existence.

Through Oz Katerji's powerful, firsthand reporting, the film offers an up-close look at the resilience and courage of those on the front lines, bringing this struggle to life with a depth and intimacy that resonates deeply. I am grateful for Oz's dedication in sharing this essential story with the world.

I spent the first year of the war in Kyiv myself, including multiple trips to see friends near the front lines, and I feel like I learned more about the war from a single morning chat at a coffee shop than I did from this half-heartes documentary. I don't know where the film-maker learnt about the country, but he seems to have spent less time learning about its people and the wider context to this horrific context than he did on choosing the soundtrack to his film (the only competent aspect).

A couple of the interviews here were illuminating on the horrors inficted on Ukraine, but the rest of the footage was bizarrely chosen, seemingly no quality control nor effort at impartiality. Imagine the worst AI tool was asked to concoct a film based on an unhinged Twitter thread with the prompt "this, but less coherent, longer, and making the viewer more stupid by the end" - this is that film.

Incredibly moving documentary that is a must see for everyone to truly appreciate how barbaric the invasion of Ukraine was and continues to be. Oz has selected fantastic range of front line individuals to follow and tell the story of the struggles during the war. Look forward to see anymore that comes from Oz!

It was an engaging experience. For me, not a light piece to watch. It brought forward the horrible fate of Ukrainian people and their lives in the hands of the brutal Russian invaders. Simultaneously, their courage and determination gives hope for survival and a brighter future. Definitely food for thought!

The time flew watching this. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who put themselves in such danger to get a message like this to the world. Right now, some politicians need a reminder of the shock of the sudden utter destruction of civilian existence, and this is a fitting tribute to the defenders of that existence.

Interesting to read down the existing reviews and observe two radically different points of view. On the one hand a couple of armchair experts evaluating the quality of the film making and a larger sample of others appreciating the storytelling from someone who was willing to put himself on the front line of a shockingly unjust and inhumane invasion to document its impact on the people under attack; to be the eyes and ears for those of us who are concerned but cannot see for ourselves. Obviously as only one person in a rapidly changing scenario there are only so many places those eyes and ears can be. The grotesque events in Borodiyanka, Bucha and Irpin are burned into the hearts of the people of Kyiv and every record of those days is an immensely important record of the crimes against humanity committed again their citizens; especially since Ukraine has made it a priority to quickly restore the living environment in those places for the quality of life of its citizens.

As one of the later type of reviewers , I appreciate the effort especially given that nobody at the time knew what circumstances the defenders would be facing from one day to the next. The film maker put himself alongside local people finding creative ways and taking serious risks to support their neighbours. Demonstrating the values that Ukraine is defending is another great communication as to why decent people the world over should be defending the Ukrainian people and supporting them every way we can against their despotic attackers. Encouraging the distribution of this film with positive reviews is a small but worthwhile way that the armchair critics are too self absorbed to be able to see. Shame on them and thanks for the makers.

The documentary gives a very good depiction of the stupor that grapples Kyiv right at the moment of the invasion and how some civilians start considering how to resist. There are some heart stopping moments when the filmmaker tries to get as close as possible to the frontline. A fair part of the film is dedicated to the attacks and atrocities on civilians in Bucha or Irpin.

However the film doesn't go very deep into the tactical situation on the ground. Somebody looking for in-depth information about military battles might find it lacking in that respect. For example I don't think maps are shown during the film that would help understand how Ukranian and Russian forces face each other. I would have liked for example to learn more about the Hostomel battle which seemed decisive.