"DIVIA" is the first paper to be full devoted to the environmental impact of the war in Ukraine. The movie premiered at the 60th global movie Festival in Karlovy Vary in the Crystal Globe Competition, was besides presented at the 31st global movie Festival in Sarajevo and during the 5th global movie Festival WATCH DOCS in Warsaw. Courtesy of organizers – Helsinki Human Rights Foundation – I managed to talk to Dmytro Hreshko, director, editor and photograph author. ‘Divia’ It only papers a fraction of the damage. Their scale deepens all day and will be 1 of the longest and most hard processes after the end of the war.
Opening horizons, fostering unity – Expanding horizons, nurturing the community – photo: A. RejmanAlicia the Fighter: Where did the impulse come from to make a movie devoted exclusively to the environmental effects of war? Was this a subject planned from the beginning, or was it something that was “disclosed” already during work?
Dmytro Hreshko: I started filming “Divia” due to the fact that I always loved nature and it was a natural subject for a documentary. Even before the start of the full invasion together with maker Polina Herman, we were working on a task on the impact of russian industrialisation on the environment of Ukraine. But erstwhile Russia attacked Ukraine, everything changed. Nature abruptly became a victim on the front line, and the war in a shocking way showed whether it even reminded us of its sensitivity. Let us remember that we have only managed to movie about 1–3% of the actual damage, due to the fact that most of the affected areas are unavailable due to ongoing fighting. Filming was only possible due to the fact that any of the occupied territories were liberated by the Ukrainian army from 2022 to 2023. What we have captured is just a fragment of a much larger ecological tragedy.
Why did you decide to destruct the dialogue? Was it about helplessness to the scale of destruction, or was it about strengthening nature's voice?
This decision was made at the assembly stage. It was clear to us that everything was already visible in the paintings. It speaks for itself. Finally, the consequences of the Russian invasion are recorded straight in the landscape. I felt that additional explanations would limit the viewer's experience alternatively of deepening it. I wanted to give space to contemplate, interpret... A place for emotional honesty. Earth speaks for itself.
The silence besides becomes highly suggestive...
Silence is simply a deliberate dramatic tool. It creates space for the viewer's emotions, without musical manipulation. In reality, there is no real silence in the movie – only sounds of nature are heard. But people frequently see these sounds as silence, which reveals something important: even erstwhile nature is hurt, it remains a part of us, and erstwhile it suffers, we lose part of ourselves.
Opening horizons, fostering unity – Expanding horizons, nurturing the community – photo: A. RejmanSpectators become witnesses, observers? possibly archaeologists of the future?
They connect all these roles. You're witnessing ecological wounds caused by invasion. On the another hand, a meditation observer of the suffering scenery and archeologist of the future, looking at images that may become evidence. "Divia" is besides a archival evidence of Russia's war against Ukraine. due to the fact that we could movie only a tiny part of what was destroyed, each cage becomes even stronger.
Have there been moments erstwhile the aesthetic of the scenery interfered with the ethical burden of the subject? How did you handle it?
Yeah. I was aware of the risk. Especially with Herzog's “The Lesson of Darkness” in mind. all time you decide to run a camera, you start a kind of aesthetic act. Each HR is the consequence of this decision and this procedure. The movie "Divia" is simply a small different. This time beauty does not aim to alleviate tragedy – it serves to attract the attention of the viewer and to encourage him to reflect. Paintings alternatively uncover than decorate. They uncover what the Russian invasion did to Ukrainian land. Strongly, but inactive only partially.
They say the camera always affects reality. I have a feeling that this vector here was bilateral.
Yeah. It was more of a reality here that affected the camera. We could operate in very limited ranges. frequently in dangerous places where safety was a key principle. Our ability to movie depended entirely on what was happening on the front. Whether Ukrainian soldiers liberated territories, allowing limited access for documentation or not.
Opening horizons, fostering unity – Expanding horizons, nurturing the community – photo: A. RejmanDid your perception of nature change during the film?
Seeing the destroyed forests, the destroyed wetlands, the poisoned water, I felt a real individual loss. It was like a part of me was destroyed. It became clear that humans and nature are inseparable, and erstwhile nature is destroyed, people pay a intellectual and existential price. The demolition of the environment is besides part of the price Ukrainians pay for their freedom.
Which scenes best showed the scale of invisible, long-term damage?
In addition to the damaged dam and polluted rivers, I remember most of the fields covered with craters, or areas where millions of explosive and unexploded mines lie. These areas will be dangerous for decades. And again, we saw only a fragment of the real picture, due to the fact that most of these areas are inaccessible... And it's painful to think.
“Divia” is besides a movie of work and reconstruction...
Yeah. I wanted to show something that contrasts with demolition — people trying to defend and reconstruct nature. Even in the film, however, we can see clearly how insufficient these efforts are compared to the scale of environmental crimes committed by Russia. Rebuilding will be a long and hard process.
What function does documentary cinema play in this process?
Documentary cinema can aid form our knowing of reconstruction. Firstly, Russia must pay compensation for environmental harm that is deep and long-lasting. Secondly, Ukrainians must admit the actual value of their natural landscapes. Many of the places we filmed would stay invisible to the planet if the Ukrainian army hadn't liberated them. The cinema makes no 1 discuss it.
How do Ukrainian viewers respond to the film?
Emotionally and personally. Many of them, like me, did not full realize the richness of nature in the east and south of the country. For them, the movie shows the environmental cost of freedom. 1 of many to carry.
What about the global audience?
International viewers frequently ask about the dangers of filmmaking and the context of war. For them, the movie is universal and fits into the poetics of the climate crisis... It is simply a communicative of the sensitivity of nature in a conflict situation. To the Ukrainians, it's not a metaphor. This is very specific: there is Russia that destroys and there are Ukrainians who are trying to defend both people and nature.
***
The dam destroyed on Dniepra (Kakhovka Dam) in June 2023. The Russians destroyed aquatic habitats and terrestrial organisms, hundreds of animals were killed, and toxic deposits containing dense metals inactive affect the ecosystem. erstwhile in the Kharkiv region Russian shelling led to the demolition of the Oskil reservoir – its dams and infrastructure, this meant the death of millions of fish and another aquatic organisms, the demolition of recreational and natural areas around the watershed. Targeted attacks on industrial infrastructure and fuel retention lead to dirt and water contamination by dense metals and toxic compounds from explosions, dirt and groundwater contamination at front lines that can stay dangerous to human and natural wellness for decades.
***
Dmytro Hreshko — Ukrainian manager and documentary movie operator. Since 2018, he has produced films devoted to human relations, nature and border situations. He debuted with a paper "66 scenes from Uzhhorod". His short movie “Save me, Doctor!” (2020) won the award for the best Ukrainian movie at the Wiz-Art Festival and the award of the jury at the MFF Molodist. He's a manager of full-length documents. “The mountains and the sky between” (2021), presented, among others, at Sheffield Doc/Fest, and “King Lear: as we sought love during the war” (2023), shown at Docudays AU. His latest movie ‘Divia’ (2025) premiered in the IFF Crystal Globe Competition in Karlovy Vary and was presented at the IFF in Sarajevo. He is co-founder of the Carpathian global Mountain movie Festival and a associate of the Ukrainian movie Academy. In late 2024, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Cultural Forces initiative.
