The Good: It's easy, as a person fascinated by geopolitics and political science, to sometimes "dehumanize" the people involved. We talk about the powerful people and speculate about the power dynamics at play; what the "Russians" are planning and what the fate of "Ukraine" will be. Often, without thinking about the human beings whose lives, welfare, hopes, and aspirations are at stake. I think it's important for anyone interested in world politics to go beyond the strategy, the ideologies and macro trends to watch documentaries that illustrate the humanity of these sweeping historical moments. Winter on Fire does this incredibly well.
The footage captured here is AMAZING. Not only because of how raw it is, but how visually stunning these scenes are. Yes, it's a little weird to say this, but the contrast between the snow covered rooftops of Kiev, with the piles of burning tires, the lines of policemen and protestors, the blood, the chaos...it's honestly quite the sight to see. I also loved how this film didn't romanticize or shy away from the trauma, the violence, the desperation, and resolve required to overthrow a government. It really humanizes these events for audiences who may tend to view these things as abstract and distant.
Yet, in the bloody street battles and sieging captured in this film, there are countless beautiful moments of humanity. There's a tendency to talk about Ukraine as a doomed country; how it's the second poorest country in Europe, destined to be swallowed by Russia, whose young people are either fleeing or not having enough children to maintain the country into the future. But it's hard to think this way after watching this film, honestly.
The documentarian also does a fantastic job introducing us to people whom would eventually be seen as heroes in the "new Ukraine." Yet, it doesn't valourize anyone to the point where we lose sight of the broader social movement that Maidan really was.
The Bad: The movie is a tad bit on the long side, which I can see being an issue for some. After several repeating scenes of street battles, they do sometimes blend together. I also felt the film missed a bit on the context; while I was aware of a lot of Ukrainian history up until 2014, and I can see why someone unfamiliar with this history may be a bit confused. I see it primarily as an artistic choice and completely understand why they would prefer focusing on the Maidan, but you kind of need to know a bit about the Ukrainian-Russian relationship to fully get the picture.
The Ugly: Winter on Fire is essential for anyone who is fascinated by this region of the world. The event post-Revolution are what the international media focus on; the proxy war between the EU and Russia, the Donbass War and annexation of Crimea. Yet, almost forgotten is the 93 day struggle that led to the sea change in European geopolitics seven years ago. It is one of the most compelling, accessible, and enthralling documentaries I've seen in quite a while, and perhaps, even more important today than in 2015.
