In August 2026, the Ukrainian audience will see the documentary film «Rescue» (RESCUE) for the first time, which became an international hit after its premiere at the Raindance festival in London. The film, created at the intersection of cinema and a humanitarian mission, tells the story of people who, for four years of the great war, risked their lives evacuating animals from frontline zones. The Ukrainian premiere will take place as part of the Odesa International Film Festival, which is taking place in Kyiv this year.

Scale of the rescue operation: from Konstantynivka to Zaporizhzhia

The film is a joint project of the American independent production company We Are All Animals and the Ukrainian organization «Every Animal». Over four years of full-scale war, the heroes of the film have saved more than 30,000 animals — from pets to livestock. The documentary camera followed volunteers in the most dangerous regions: from Konstantynivka to Pokrovsk, as well as in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Each evacuation in these zones is associated with a real threat to the lives of rescuers.

Heroes of the film: people of different countries and fates

At the center of the narrative are the stories of people whose past and motives differ radically. Among the heroes are a former Ukrainian soldier who, after service, devoted himself to saving animals; a Swiss volunteer who left a safe life to help; a Bulgarian who moved to Ukraine after the start of the invasion; and an Italian who founded a shelter in the Kyiv region. They are united by one thing: the refusal to leave animals to their fate in bombed villages.

Symbol of the film: the story of the kid Alenka

One of the most poignant stories of the film is the rescue of a kid named Alenka. The animal was evacuated from a bombed village and subsequently became one of the symbols of the film. This story highlights not only the scale of the tragedy but also the ability to show compassion even in wartime conditions. The film's producer and head of the organization «Every Animal», Tamara Human, notes that «Rescue» is not just a record of evacuation, but a story about responsibility, moral choice, and empathy.

Cinematic context and the team of creators

The director of the film is the Italo-American documentarian Alessio Schiazza, known for his research on the connection between humans and animals. His previous work Cuori Liberi (2024) was dedicated to the struggle for animal rights in Italian shelters. British director Sadie Frost and co-founder of the Ukrainian company Petcube, Andriy Klen, joined the production team. The film shows the war from a unique perspective — through the prism of the stories of animals and people who refuse to abandon them.

Contradictory data

There are discrepancies in the sources regarding the exact date of the Odesa International Film Festival in 2026. Some materials indicate that the festival is taking place in Kyiv, which may be due to logistical or security reasons. Also, some sources mention the year 2025, which requires clarification with the festival organizers.