Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015) User Reviews

History repeating itself (?)

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 27 February 2022]

Not really, but it still is quite the ordeal and quite the ... well almost crazy thing to be watching this right now. While there is a war going on in Ukraine - a war that is unnecessary. Not that any war is actually and really necessary. But this one is especially hard to stomach.

Bill Maher made a joke about one of Russias reasons to invade Ukraine (2022 that is): they claim that they are afraid Ukraine might get WMDs ... anyone who has a little knowledge of history knows the Americans did something similar some time ago ... that aside when I heard about the invasion I felt sick to my stomache. There is no reasoning and no valid reason for this to happen - no even if Ukraine or their politics "provoked" (mocked?) Vladimir Putin ... this is not even close to a valid argument for war. Don't even go down that road.

So what to do, than to watch this documentary? Yes a glutton to punishment - no pun intended. I can watch this documentary from the safety of my couch or wherever I sit and watch, but the people here where fighting for their lives. And the camera does not shy away - we see the consequences of violence, we see the results of people being beaten or shot at. And it does not look pretty ... and yet the people of Ukraine will not give up .. they will not surrender, they will not give in.

Harrowing and really grim, this may be a history lesson but one that I would imagine not many want to watch. Sean Penn apparently is in Ukraine right now - and he is allegedly doing another documentary about what is happening right now ... as if the pandemic was not enough madness this had to happen ...

Veracious Horrendous Account, crisp editing, lacks historic aspect, a must see

[samabc-31952 · 9/10 · 31 December 2021]

The Maidan(square) in Kyiv, Ukraine. Year 2014. The 4th president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych promised Ukrainians that Ukraine would join EU. But his meeting with Putin was a game changer. That would sabotage Ukrainians dream of being part of Europe. The country got its independence from Russia in 90s and already had seen The Orange Revolution since the turn of this century triggered by a rigged election that was marred by a presidential candidate Yanukovych. The 2014 revolution rightly known as The Revolution of Dignity started with few hundreds gathered at the Maidan as a response to a FB call put out by the journalist Mustufa Nayyem and in the days to come, the Maidan would be filled with hundreds of thousands of protesters. It ended after 93 days that left 125 people killed. 65 missing and some 1900 injured! It resulted into Berkut (special police forces) being disbanded, Yanukovych fleeing to Russia and was given asylum by Putin and Ukrainians triumphing as it signed for EU.

This documentary is a horrendous veracious account of the events that took place during those 93 days. A direct diatribe against Russians ongoing meddling into country's politics. It will hit your bloodstream and nervous system. It may seem single dimensional but this is a revolution against a leader who was merely a Russian puppet. How Bertuts rifles got loaded with live ammo instead of the standard rubber bullets against the peaceful protesters. The triumph however, was short-lived as soon Russia sent military forces to assist pro- Russiann separatists and annexed Crimea in southern Ukraine and also, the ongoing pro-Russian protests in other parts of the country that has been escalated into violent wars... crisp editing, superb footage.. Despite of missing a comprehensive history aspect, it does not fail to achieve visceral impact. A MUST see.

Powerful documentary full of amazing images, if not super deep

[runamokprods · 9/10 · 16 June 2016]

Filled with amazing and powerful images of resistance on both a personal and mass scale, this film is what can result when you have a revolution in the age of ubiquitous cell phones and personal drones. And it leads to a kind of combination of visceral immediacy and near epic scope in the telling of the Ukraine's 3 month long citizens' revolt against a corrupt, unresponsive and lying government that would have been near impossible a handful of years earlier. This is experiencing a revolt from the inside; scary, intense, exciting – a powerful emotional roller coaster.

What it isn't, is an intellectually rigorous overview of the issues and conditions that led to the revolt, or what changes did and didn't result in the long term. Those are touched on, of course, but it's a fair criticism that's been leveled against the film, that the uninformed viewer (like me) comes away with only a schematic and simplistic view of the uprising. But, for me, that was enough.

The power of this film is the reminder that it is still possible for people to come together from very different places, Muslims and Catholics, left-wing students and aging military men, the poor and the middle-class – and to band together to overthrow a tyrant with a remarkable limiting of blood-shed. It's a film that will make you shed a tear for the potential for good and for change in the world, and that outweighs whatever shortcomings the film may have.

Creation of awareness

[imishchenko-46523 · 15 September 2015]

I'm a Ukrainian. After watching the trailer I got goose bumps. Whatever was going on in Ukraine and things that are still happening, turned all the people very patriotic, people could see the beauty of our country, they could see how unique it is. I guess this movie means a lot for all of us. We want to stop the war in our country, so we want to create the awareness among individuals from other countries. I recommend you to watch it, so you could see what's happening on your own. In the modern world, it is so easy to manipulate people using media, so I guess this is a great opportunity for everyone to decide what he or she thinks about it, not what society does. Revolution is basically a war with society. Its aim is change for better. Many Ukrainians passed away as they wanted to bring a change. Ukrainians have not reached their aim yet, but this movie can help us to take an enormous step towards it.

Made Me Fall in Love with the Ukrainian People

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 9 March 2016]

An inspiring documentary about the Ukrainian people's uprising against an oppressive regime and their successful demands that the Ukraine join the European Union.

Two years ago, my wife and I watched all of the Academy Award nominees for Best Documentary Feature before the big show. One of them was "The Square," about a similar situation in Egypt. Yet things ended badly in that film; the people fought to overthrow the regime in place but didn't have anything to replace it with, so they exchanged one bad set of leaders for another. In "Winter on Fire," a major difference is that the Ukrainian people were able to organize themselves into a de facto political party, with specific demands. Their ability to focus on a specific set of objectives is largely what made their effort successful, and the sheer joy of watching people unite and effect change for the greater good made me absolutely love the Ukrainian people and hope that Americans could do the same if faced with similar challenges.

Grade: A

Wow!

[obriea · 10/10 · 28 February 2022]

In light of the current political climate I am in awe. Ukrainian citizens are on another level, their resilience and complete dedication to freedom and democracy is inspiring.

A must see documentary!

[ssound77-164-707679 · 9/10 · 12 October 2015]

This is a must see documentary, even if you have opposing views to those displayed in it. Although many holes are left in deciphering what is really going on within Ukraine and between Russia and Ukraine, it does allow you to get one step closer to understanding. I thought it was near perfect!

I am an American living in Kiev for a few months and have been wanting to learn more about this incredible country and the trouble it has been and is facing. I found this review very informative and patriotic. It was helpful in understanding the people and the current situation and I even gained some Ukrainian pride myself!

Outstanding & moving

[brockfal · 9/10 · 22 February 2022]

This astonishing documentary tells the story of the Ukrainian uprising of 2014. Considering what's happening in 2022, everyone should see it. Although it doesn't offer an in depth analysis from all sides, which isn't really surprising given the odious nature of the regime at the time, it was filmed within the demonstrations and by the demonstrators, and is often a devastating and horrific account given the brutality of the regime's reaction. It is often hard to watch, however, it's also ultimately inspiring and impressive, and is a great tribute to the tenacity and fighting spirit of the Ukrainians, their hopes for their country then , and now.

Bloody documentary footage of the Fight to Overthrow Dictator in Ukraine

[ligonlaw · 9/10 · 25 October 2015]

This documentary is raw and bloody, and it describes the internal struggle of the Ukrainian people to overthrow a dictator who betrayed them. Ukraine wanted to become part of the European Union and to move away from Putin's Russia in late 2013.

The pro-Russian leader of the Ukraine Victor Yanukovich stunned the people of his country by refusing to sign an agreement to join the EU and, instead, endorsed a plan to become part of Putin's Russian alliance. The Ukrainian people took to the streets of the capital city. What followed was a bloodbath as armed troops murdered unarmed civilians. The film shows an incredible degree of courage and determination to fight back against the government troops even when much blood was running in the streets.

As the people took to the streets in greater numbers, Yanukovych assumed greater dictatorial power through the Parliament and attempted to rule an unwilling public through force. The film covers a period of about 90 days from the beginning of the uprising to the resignation of Yanukovych, who fled to Russia for protection from his people. The government escalated the violence throughout the uprising, but the Ukrainians were relentless in pursuit of a free country and their desire to become part of the European Union.

I wonder why we didn't get much news about this in our media, although I am grateful that we got the full story on the Kardashians while this was happening. Is Lamar out of rehab yet?

Sadly, on point.

[RainbowVic · 10/10 · 5 March 2022]

In a historic moment when a dictator have started a cruel and bloodless war in Europe (only him by the way, not Russia) maybe all the Europeans and American viewers can have the opportunity of see this wonderful documentary on how the Ukraine people has stand up against the tyranny and cruelness of Vladimir Putin since he invaded Crimea in 2014. Ukrainian are so inspiring, and their president Zelensky is now became a global icon, something that Putin isn't. Slava Ukraine and Down with Dictators!

Great footage, though one-sided

[mar-hee · 7/10 · 22 October 2015]

A very interesting documentary, great footage with inspiring people fighting for a cause they believe in.

The viewer is presented to an idealistic, but informative account of the uprising in Kiev, Ukraine. We follow the events through Euromaidan, following demonstrators in their revolt against Yanukovych. We also get a glimpse of the different types of protesters, their Ukrainian nationalism and pro-European sentiment. This, along with the documentary's footage, is what makes "Winter on Fire" great.

Even though I would recommend this documentary, it's important to note that the documentary is very biased. We hear almost nothing about what's going on in the Ukrainian Parliament, it leaves out facts and generally paints a very one-sided picture. Either way, watch it.

A punch in the gut, and a must-see

[jneiberger-1 · 9/10 · 3 March 2022]

I've been to Kyiv and seen Maidan Square. I've seen the photos of the people who died lining the street. This is the story of a country fighting to be a free, democratic nation, free from the grip of Putin. As you can see by current events, Putin will do anything to stop Ukraine from being truly free.

Beautifully captured, lacking complete political coverage

[japaynage · 7/10 · 23 October 2015]

As these events occurred an extremely recent history, I followed the events that took place loosely, with what I could regard as having an informed opinion of them – although not the full picture. What Winter On Fire achieves is to bring you face-to-face with the events that occurred over those months, something that it captures excellently. Hats off to all involved, and again shows how Netflix is asserting it's dominance and reputation.

Beautifully edited and extremely linear, what I was impressed most with is WoF's attention to detail in showing the audience the struggles and turmoil of this dark period in Maidan. The piece really does immerse, with some very captivating hand-held shots.

Winter On Fire is definitely worth the time, and am struggling not to give it a higher star rating – as far as the film goes it is brilliant. Where this film does potentially lack, however, is that it would need to include a more well-rounded view of all the surrounding events; I am aware that this film is an account of those involved, but needs more description around outside events.

A biased documentary.

[bmg_dk · 5/10 · 19 October 2015]

First of, English is not my main language, and my grammar may be off. You have bin warned.

When i first saw the trailer for the documentary, i was all hooked. I watched many hours of the live-streams from ukrstream, during the protests/riots, so i was really looking forward to this documentary. That being said, I was very disappointed with it. I am not a supporter of the way the police/state handled it, and how they killed a lot of innocent people during the periods. But, this documentary doesn't show you the police that gets set on fire with molotovs, and beaten to death too. It doesn't show that time when the protesters, blocked in 100 policemen in an office building, and they almost got burned in. We only hear about how the protesters took all the beating, and don't get me wrong, the police was way to aggressive, and had what was coming to them

The documentary tells about the protesters that gets abducted, but never what happened to them.

Not a documentary i would recommend to anyone, they should go watch the videos of the riots on youtube, or ukrstream, since they are still available, and gives a less biased view.

Chocking and amazing

[bethjazotte · 10/10 · 20 December 2020]

Quer saber o VERDADEIRO significado de PATRIOTISMO? De coragem? De união e propósito? Esse chocante documentário é então imperdível para você. Fiquei muito impressionada. Want to know the TRUE meaning of PATRIOTISM? Courage? Of union and purpose? This shocking documentary is then a must for you. I was very impressed.#movieslover #netflix

Strong Documentary on a Revolution

[Mario64 · 9/10 · 10 August 2020]

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom is a 2015 Netflix-produced documentary, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky, which focuses on the ninety days of protests, referred to as the Euromaidan Protests, that spanned from November 2013 to February 2014, which eventually toppled the government of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. It was set off when this leader of the Eastern European country, a former Soviet Republic, refused to sign a trade agreement with the European Union, which the people wanted and which he had said he would sign, in order to pay favor to Russia and Vladimir Putin. The people see the cronyism and the corruption, and are determined to peacefully show their displeasure, in the streets, eventually numbering in the thousands. The government doesn't take kindly to this popular uprising, feeling threatened easily by public opposition (as autocratic regimes often do), and sets about to repress and squash their movement. The response from the people is, as has occurred with authoritarians doing similar oppression, is to not cower but step up harder and louder and grow their movement.

Putting the politics aside--though I don't think it should be in any way be considered a controversial statement that the government acted in a very bad way--this is a fantastic, disturbing, and beyond all a riveting documentary, including amazing footage placing you in the heart of these heart-stopping scenes and put together well. It shows very well how the movement started and how it grew. I think I even liked this better than another really strong Netflix doc about a similar kind of revolution in Egypt earlier in the decade, the award-winning The Square, though this is many ways is a slighter film. I believe the narrower focus, putting it on these specific protests and the governments overreaction, works to its benefit. Afineevsky received both Academy Award and Emmy nominations for the film, which on the one hand I find strange, because the two award shows are clearly in separate entertainment entities, and a work probably shouldn't be eligible for both; on the other hand, I can't say he wasn't deserving for both nomination (the same thing happened to the director of The Square Jehane Noujaim, won some Emmys for it). I highly recommend seeing this documentary.

A Fantastic, Human Scale View of History

[ryanpersaud-59415 · 8/10 · 6 December 2021]

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.

Protests in Ukraine that lasted for months... absolutely incredible

[Jose Guilherme · 9/10 · 28 July 2016]

I don't even know where to start as regards the events portrayed. Such courage in the face of adversity and death. The Euromaidan protests changed the path the country was going and instilled a sense of patriotism in a whole generation.

This documentary is very balanced and complete. My Ukrainian friend says its spot on as regards their fight for freedom. Some of the best footage of this historical event. Even if you are not specifically interested in the Ukraine... certainly how a peaceful protest can get big and persist for months should be worth seeing. I certainly drew parallels to protests in my native Brazil... though my people do not have or need the same courage. Watch it... learn...

Shocking! Inspirational!

[hooma814 · 9/10 · 21 June 2020]

This is one of my favourite documentaries for many reasons. This doco is quite shocking in many ways - the lengths to which the police brutality goes to, but also how this whole conflict seemed to be but a brief mention in many countries news bulletins. I couldn't believe that these events were not more widely shared on social media, news outlets and that there wasn't worldwide outrage at these crimes. Sadly, it seems to me that this would've happened if it occurred in a country like my home country, New Zealand, but because it was based in the Ukraine, it seems like many Western countries just don't care enough.

Winter on Fire had me crying and feeling emotional throughout all its heroic and sadly fatal moments. There are so many heroes in this story, and so many positives on display of what non-violent protesting can accomplish and how bad it can make your opposers look. I'm sure this was something the people of Ukraine were very proud of. The footage in this doco is truly amazing, both those who courageously filmed it and also the giant admin task of collecting it altogether and putting it in one place to tell such a compelling story. This doco moved me and also gave me such a feeling of rage to the injustices presented here.

It's very sad to think that these things are still possible in our day, and these docos need to be made continually to show how truly evil the human heart without God can be. Selfishness and a thirst for power or dominion at all costs is an ugly human trait, but the unity, grit, passion and courage of the very same people shines so clearly. Some of the more compelling scenes were those of the mothers pleading with the armed forces to remember the Ukraine of their youth and that they could change sides.

This is not for causal viewing and this story needs to be told, not swept under the rug, hidden, ignored or forgotten.

Bravehearts!!

[nick_demonlover · 10/10 · 5 March 2022]

Ukrainians are on another level. Their will to die for their freedom and rights will inspire many generations to come. They had to fight against their own; an evil corrupt leader, and now they find themselves fighting against the invaders and dictator. Russians need to take a leaf out of Ukrainians book and do everything in their power to outs Putin, and save themselves, Ukraine and maybe the whole world.

Good pictures but really one-sided

[ka-thi · 7/10 · 30 November 2016]

To start with the positive: The movie is well-made, nice but sometimes really shocking and graphic pictures showing Kiev at war. I really liked the individual approach of getting to know the background stories of some of the people involved. However, and that it is why it got some points deducted - it is terribly one-sided. One has no idea how the government reacts to it or what they do to calm the situation. It would have been nice to include a local as well as a global insight into politics here. Furthermore, a link to how things are now is missing too. A simple reference in the credits on how this has developed into a division of the country would have been sufficient (at least for me).

Worth watching again

[ghatbkk · 8/10 · 19 March 2022]

The first time I watched this, I rated it 6/10 as it is a bit too blatantly one-sided. Not saying that the side shown isn't admirable, but it still isn't exactly a documentary.

The second time I watched this is in mid-March 2022, while the Ukrainians are fighting again for their freedom against a Russian aggressor.

The spirit shown in this movie strikes home far stronger this time.

Glory to Ukraine.

Glory to the Heroes.

Fast paced documentary

[fischer_patrick · 7/10 · 11 March 2022]

This documentary is relatively short, but packs a lot in. It's well edited with interviews and archival footage. It all amounts to a fast paced documentary that relies on the words of the people who were there to explain this time period rather than scholars or pundits. If you are interested in understanding the current war in Ukraine this film is a good primer for knowledge.

That's one way to look at it

[jerrycoliver · 3/10 · 8 March 2022]

First off, the production value is through the roof. There's technically nothing wrong (that stands out at least) about this documentary. It's like many others by Netflix, it's sleek and compelling. From that position, there's nothing wrong with it. Unfortunately, this would fall in the realm of "propaganda" more than "documentary" (which several other Netflix documentaries do as well.)

There is another documentary that came out a year later called "Ukraine on Fire" which isn't as sleek and emotional as this one, but has far more context and sacrifices emotion for factual information. So if you want to be "feel" something about this situation, by all means, watch this. But if you want to "know" something about this situation, watch the other one.

I won't go into too many details so we can avoid spoilers, but this movie left me (because I watched it before "Ukraine on Fire") with a lot of questions. There are a lot of things presented which in the flow of story telling don't need to be explained, but any thought after watching you'll probably find yourself saying "Wait that doesn't make any sense." or "How is that even possible?" and in one situation "That's literally impossible."

Again, it's a nice movie and it certainly makes you "feel" something, but it's like your friend who was in a fight explaining to you how the fight started: "I was just walking down the street, minding my own business. Being a perfect angel like I always am and this guy just came over and punched me for no reason." When it reality, he was mouthing off to someone and shoved him first. So take the "truth" of it with a grain of salt.

A powerful documentary for a powerful part of history

[thependragonscribe · 8/10 · 11 January 2016]

The Maidan unrest in Ukraine is one of the most impactful civilian unrests in contemporary times. The scope and the sequence of Ukraine's revolution is the subject of this harrowing documentary. Using interview accounts from known and unknown figures of the protests, "Winter on Fire" wistfully tackles the growth of the revolution, from humble beginnings of persuading the government to integrate with the European Union to powerful struggles to overthrow President Viktor Yanukovych.

The raw video footage of the peaceful protests-turned-civilian riots will surely unnerve the senses of how much tormenting the revolution was. Though it centers more on the protesters and their experiences, the documentary also holds no bar of portraying the state as an antagonistic figure but a difficult challenge to overcome.

I watched this without subtitles. And thankfully I did because it truly connects the country's weary conditions to every viewer, with the wise use of raw footage, powerful montages and emotional interviews that deliver a gut-wrenching picture of the fight for freedom.