To Die to Live: A Raw Look at the Psychological Toll of Ukraine’s Long War

A Decade of Conflict Through a Human Lens

The landscape of documentary filmmaking has long been tasked with capturing the visceral nature of modern warfare. However, Yuliia Hontaruk’s latest project, To Die to Live, shifts the focus away from the front lines of combat and toward the internal battlefields of those who chose to serve. Recently premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the film provides a haunting, deeply personal examination of what happens when a nation is forced to live in a state of perpetual emergency for over twelve years.

To Die to Live follows the lives of three volunteers, tracing their journeys from the initial sparks of conflict to the complex, often devastating realities of their current existence. Rather than offering a traditional war chronicle or a geopolitical breakdown, Hontaruk crafts a narrative that centers on the human soul. As the director herself noted during the film’s debut, the documentary is less about the mechanics of war and more about the psychological sediment that conflict leaves behind in the hearts of individuals.

The Internal Landscape of Volunteers

At the core of the documentary are the stories of three distinct volunteers. By choosing to focus on these individuals, Hontaruk peels back the layers of heroism often projected onto those who join the war effort. The film explores the motivation that drives a civilian to become a volunteer and, more importantly, the burden they carry long after the initial adrenaline fades.

The narrative structure is non-linear, mirroring the fractured nature of memory and trauma. Viewers are invited to witness the quiet moments—the conversations in kitchens, the long silences, and the sudden realizations that life, as they once knew it, has been irrevocably altered. The documentary asks a difficult question: How does one reconcile the instinct to survive with the reality that they are living in a society where death has become a constant neighbor?

Beyond the Headlines: A Cinematic Meditation

In an era where news cycles are dominated by tactical updates and political maneuvering, To Die to Live serves as a poignant reminder that the war in Ukraine is not merely a series of events, but a lived experience that spans more than a decade. The film captures the exhaustion that settles into a community when the prospect of peace feels like a distant, perhaps even impossible, dream.

Key themes explored in the documentary include:

• The Normalization of Conflict: How individuals adapt their daily routines to accommodate the presence of war.
• The Weight of Memory: The difficulty of reconciling past civilian identities with current roles as volunteers.
• Existential Resilience: The search for meaning in a landscape defined by loss and the proximity of death.

Why This Story Matters Now

As the international community continues to monitor the situation in Eastern Europe, the cultural contribution of films like To Die to Live cannot be overstated. By documenting the personal narratives of those on the ground, Hontaruk ensures that the human cost of the war is not reduced to a statistic. The film forces the audience to confront the reality that for millions, the conflict is not a temporary interruption, but a fundamental shift in the fabric of their existence.

The documentary is a testament to the power of non-fiction storytelling to act as a witness to history. By focusing on the 'inside' of the people, Hontaruk provides a mirror for a society attempting to process a trauma that has no clear end date. It is a film that demands patience and empathy, rewarding the viewer with a profound, if painful, understanding of the Ukrainian experience in the 21st century.

As the film begins its festival run and looks toward wider distribution, it stands as a significant entry in the canon of war documentaries. It avoids the temptation of easy answers or grand narratives, choosing instead to linger in the uncomfortable, quiet spaces where the true work of surviving and living takes place. For those looking to understand the psychological reality of Ukraine, To Die to Live is an essential, albeit heavy, watch.