Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

The Maidan(square) in Kyiv, Ukraine. Year 2014. The 4th president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych promised Ukrainians that Ukraine would join EU. But his meeting with Putin was a game changer. That would sabotage Ukrainians dream of being part of Europe. The country got its independence from Russia in 90s and already had seen The Orange Revolution since the turn of this century triggered by a rigged election that was marred by a presidential candidate Yanukovych. The 2014 revolution rightly known as The Revolution of Dignity started with few hundreds gathered at the Maidan as a response to a FB call put out by the journalist Mustufa Nayyem and in the days to come, the Maidan would be filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters. It ended after 93 days that left 125 people killed. 65 missing and some 1900 injured! It resulted into Berkut (special police forces) being disbanded, Yanukovych fleeing to Russia and was given asylum by Putin and Ukrainians triumphing as it signed for EU.

This documentary is a horrendous veracious account of the events that took place during those 93 days. A direct diatribe against Russians ongoing meddling into country's politics. It will hit your bloodstream and nervous system. It may seem single dimensional but this is a revolution against a leader who was merely a Russian puppet. How Bertuts rifles got loaded with live ammo instead of the standard rubber bullets against the peaceful protesters. The triumph however, was short-lived as soon Russia sent military forces to assist pro- Russiann separatists and annexed Crimea in southern Ukraine and also, the ongoing pro-Russian protests in other parts of the country that has been escalated into violent wars... crisp editing, superb footage.. Despite of missing a comprehensive history aspect, it does not fail to achieve visceral impact. A MUST see.

I've been to Kyiv and seen Maidan Square. I've seen the photos of the people who died lining the street. This is the story of a country fighting to be a free, democratic nation, free from the grip of Putin. As you can see by current events, Putin will do anything to stop Ukraine from being truly free.

I'm a Ukrainian. After watching the trailer I got goose bumps. Whatever was going on in Ukraine and things that are still happening, turned all the people very patriotic, people could see the beauty of our country, they could see how unique it is. I guess this movie means a lot for all of us. We want to stop the war in our country, so we want to create the awareness among individuals from other countries. I recommend you to watch it, so you could see what's happening on your own. In the modern world, it is so easy to manipulate people using media, so I guess this is a great opportunity for everyone to decide what he or she thinks about it, not what society does. Revolution is basically a war with society. Its aim is change for better. Many Ukrainians passed away as they wanted to bring a change. Ukrainians have not reached their aim yet, but this movie can help us to take an enormous step towards it.

This is a must see documentary, even if you have opposing views to those displayed in it. Although many holes are left in deciphering what is really going on within Ukraine and between Russia and Ukraine, it does allow you to get one step closer to understanding. I thought it was near perfect!

I am an American living in Kiev for a few months and have been wanting to learn more about this incredible country and the trouble it has been and is facing. I found this review very informative and patriotic. It was helpful in understanding the people and the current situation and I even gained some Ukrainian pride myself!

An inspiring documentary about the Ukrainian people's uprising against an oppressive regime and their successful demands that the Ukraine join the European Union.

Two years ago, my wife and I watched all of the Academy Award nominees for Best Documentary Feature before the big show. One of them was "The Square," about a similar situation in Egypt. Yet things ended badly in that film; the people fought to overthrow the regime in place but didn't have anything to replace it with, so they exchanged one bad set of leaders for another. In "Winter on Fire," a major difference is that the Ukrainian people were able to organize themselves into a de facto political party, with specific demands. Their ability to focus on a specific set of objectives is largely what made their effort successful, and the sheer joy of watching people unite and effect change for the greater good made me absolutely love the Ukrainian people and hope that Americans could do the same if faced with similar challenges.

Grade: A