Short film about Ukraine deserves long impact

His own heritage inspiring extra concern about the Soviet invasion of the Ukraine, filmmaker Janek Ambros moves from the surreal world he explored in Mondo Hollywood to a short project that focuses on a sadly real situation. Traveling near the country, Ambros brought his camera and did what any movie lover feels compelled to do: he shot footage and ended up with a project called Ukrainians in Exile. Raw and real, his images include extensive interviews with a refugee named Anya. Without flash or pretense, Anya provides insight into daily fears that often fail to grab headlines. Editing hours of footage to a mere 7 minutes, the director reveals a tragedy facing a much longer timeframe—one that deserves continued coverage by filmmakers like Ambros. The project premiered at the Morelia Film Festival.