"Women and War" Under Rise and Shine World Sales (Exclusive): Ukrainian Women Undergo Trauma Therapy

Rise and Shine World Sales has secured international rights to Elvira Niewiera's documentary "Women and War," which follows four Ukrainian women who survived war crimes and undergo trauma therapy in the mountains of Ukraine. The film is set to premiere in the main competition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, held from November 12 to 22.

This documentary will be broadcast in the main competition section on IDFA

Rise and Shine World Sales has secured international rights to Elvira Niviera's documentary Women and War, which follows four Ukrainian women, all survivors of war crimes, who undergo trauma therapy in the mountains of Ukraine. The film is scheduled to be screened in the main competition at the Amsterdam International Documentary Festival, which will be held from November 12 to 22.

"Women and War" follows the personal journeys of Olena, Yulia, Irina and Lena as they survive the nightmares of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. Over the course of a year, the film follows the women through long-term treatment in the remote mountains of Ukraine, where they slowly begin to recover under the care of therapists and psychologists. RELATED STORIES Directors Ken Dominga Sotomayor's two-week film La Pera sold internationally

After surviving captivity, torture, sexual violence, months of hiding in dark basements, and the loss of loved ones, each woman follows her own path to recovery. Therapy provides a safe space for them to face the lingering effects of traumatic experiences and gradually regain emotional and physical balance. Through their stories, the film offers a female-centric perspective on resilience, inner strength, and the fight to reclaim their lives. Popular in Variety

"For years I have been working with women in Ukraine who have survived war crimes, and one thing has become abundantly clear: for them, the war does not end when the guns go off," says Nieveira. It exists in their thoughts, in their bodies and in their daily routines. "Despite the fact that rape and torture are deliberately used as tools to break down women and destabilize entire societies, violence against women in conflict is still often overlooked."

"As a filmmaker and as a woman, I feel a responsibility to give these women a space to be heard," she added. I didn't want to define them only through their trauma. I wanted to show the courage, the strength and the small steps they take to heal.

"There are very painful moments, but there is also warmth, empathy. For me, it was important to show that these women are much more than traumatic experiences. I want this film to give these women their dignity back and show the world how strong and determined they are to take their lives back. Survivors all over the world."

Anja Dziersk of Rise and Shine said: "It's well known that violence against women has been used as a weapon of war for centuries. But it's hard to think of a film that puts the horrors of prison and torture in a context that engages the audience on such an emotional level. Elwira Niewiera shines a light on the fact that we're just at war. And the strength of these women, who open up in conversation and face their trauma as part of the healing process. This film is about "It's life. It's about how you move on after the unthinkable happens to you."

Women and War was produced by Hans Robert Eisenhower for Germany's Ventana Films, Maciej Kubicki for Poland-based Telemark and Natalia Krasilnikova for Art Dialogue in Ukraine. This joint production is produced with ZDF and TVP in collaboration with ARTE.

Nieveira's previous works, The Hamlet Syndrome (2022), The Prince and Dybock (2017) and The Domino Effect (2014), have been screened at major festivals including Venice Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, IDFA, HotDox, Dock Leipzig and Krakow Film Festival.