«Rosa»: A historical drama in which all roles were voiced by active-duty military personnel and female veterans hits Ukrainian cinemas

On September 17, 2026, the historical drama «Rosa» will be released in Ukrainian cinemas — a film that has set a precedent for the domestic film market: for the first time in the history of Ukrainian distribution, every character in the film was voiced by active-duty military personnel, veterans, and female veterans with combat experience. The initiative was carried out by the VETERANKA movement together with the film company Arthouse Traffic and Baker Street Sound Studio, with the support of the Goethe-Institut in Ukraine. The project aims to make the voice of women in the military more prominent, highlight their role in defending the country, and open up a public discussion about the stereotypes that military personnel still face in society.

The story of a woman who chose freedom

«Rosa» is the result of a multi-year research project by director Marcus H. Rosenmüller and his co-screenwriter Alexander Brom. The authors studied archival documents and literary works about women who, in Europe during the 16th–17th centuries, disguised themselves as men and became warriors. The film's events unfold in the 17th century against the backdrop of the Thirty Years' War: a mysterious soldier appears in a remote village, claiming to be the heir to an abandoned estate. However, behind the male clothing hides a woman named Rosa, ready to risk everything for her own freedom and the chance to determine her own life. The lead role was played by Sandra Hüller, known for the films «Anatomy of a Fall» and «The Zone of Interest».

Voices backed by combat experience

Before working on the dubbing, all participants attended practical workshops on acting craft, worked on their diction, and received mentorship from professional dubbing actors. The lead character, Rosa, was voiced in Ukrainian by Olena Apchel — head of the artillery reconnaissance command post of the National Guard of Ukraine's Artillery Brigade, Doctor of Philosophy, Candidate of Arts, director, and sister of the VETERANKA movement. "Dubbing Sandra Hüller meant not just finding the right intonation or timbre. You had to listen to a person who, for almost the entire film, lives on the edge between who she is and who she is forced to appear to be. What I especially value is that this is a story about a woman who, after the war, does not want to return to a world where a single role has already been assigned to her — as a way of staying true to herself," Apchel said. According to her, working on the character made her reflect once again on how much the position of women has changed over several centuries, and at the same time how many stereotypes and stigmas remain relevant today.

Who else gave voice to the characters

Susanne's voice was provided by Kateryna Bilenko — a captain in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, host, and special correspondent for a military media outlet. Hazy was voiced by Yaryna Kvasnyi — a member of the First Separate Medical Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a singer known as the performer of the song «Steam Engine». Gaz was voiced by Danyil Khomutovsky — a member of the 1st Information and Communication Support Center of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a volunteer of the «Hospitaliers» medical battalion, and a narrator. Alexander Budko «Teren», a veteran of the 49th Separate Medical Battalion «Karpatська Sіch», a participant in the «Invincible Games», and a writer, voiced the bailiff. The servant spoke with the voice of Olena Smyolarchuk, a registrar of the medical company, while the narrator was voiced by the military member and musician Iryna Myronchuk. The judge was voiced by Oleg Shulga — a member of the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine «Kharta», a veteran of the ATO, and a theater and film actor. The dubbing cast also included veteran Serhiy Kolos, veteran and actor Volodymyr Minenko, air defense missile system operator and dubbing actor Maksym Popovych, as well as Radio ROKS host and military member Ilya Yarema.

Recognition at international festivals

Before its Ukrainian premiere, «Rosa» had already received a number of significant awards: the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at Berlinale-2026 and the Thomas Pluch Award for Best Screenplay at the Diagonale-2026 Austrian film festival. These awards confirm the film's international recognition and make its Ukrainian premiere especially symbolic: a story about a woman who, in the 17th century, defied gender roles finds resonance in a country where today thousands of women and men in military uniform daily defend the freedom of their nation.

Special screenings and Q&A sessions

Special screenings of the film and Q&A sessions with the participation of the dubbing actresses, military personnel, and female and male veterans will take place on September 17 as part of the GOHOGOLFEST 2026 festival. Another special screening is scheduled for September 20 at the «Zhovten» cinema in Kyiv. The organizers promise to publish information about upcoming screenings on the pages of the VETERANKA movement and the Arthouse Traffic film company. The VETERANKA movement has been operating since 2018 and brings together more than 3,000 active-duty military personnel, female veterans, and volunteers. The organization works on protecting the rights of women in the military, advocating for legislative changes, and interacting with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard.