Plot

Ukraine has been under Russian fire since the full scale invasion. The film opens up visual axes that draw lines to Ukraine's ancient past, and listening to the eerie echoes of the 20th century as today's Russia develops more and more similarities to fascist Germany. Focusing on the individual stories of Ukrainians torn from their former lives yet retaining their unbroken spirit of freedom, the film reminds us as viewers of what is essential in life.

"You suddenly realize that you have nothing else than what you carry inside you." - says Rada Makeienkova in Kyiv in spring 2022.

Director Nina I Roerig's visionary approach in 'I Want To See The Morning Star' transforms the devastation of the war that Russia is waging in Ukraine into a canvas of poetic expression, where pain and hope converge in a symphony of emotion. Filmed over the past two years, in Bucha, Kyiv, and Kharkiv, the documentary challenges traditional narratives and offers a nuanced portrayal of the impact of conflict on men's and women's lives, highlighting their courage and tenacity in the face of unimaginable adversity. Centered on human stories and the tragedy of the war since the full-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, the film captures the surreal beauty of destruction and nature reclaiming its ground, both poetic and heartbreaking.

Featuring a multitude of testimonies from civilians - witnessing the unspeakable, shocked and knocked out by war, or resilient and fighting - the film paints a vivid picture of their enduring strength, hope, and their unbreakable spirit of freedom.

The eerie echoes of the Second World War are impossible to ignore, and for Nina I Roerig, a modern German director, this film reflects on the resurgence of fascism which becomes more and more reality in today's Russia. Ultimately, the film argues for our responsibility to Ukraine and the principles of democracy and freedom in Europe.

The title is inspired by a line of the poet Lesya Ukrainka (1871-1913)