“A SIMPLE SOLDIER” documentary screening | Tallinn

As part of the Ukrainian Film Club in Estonia, we invite all Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine to the screening of the feature-length documentary “A SIMPLE SOLDIER” on 4 October at 13:00 at Sõprus Cinema. The screening is dedicated to the Day of Defenders of Ukraine. The screening is organized by the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia!

On 2 October, the film will be presented in the National Competition of the Odesa International Film Festival, marking its first public screening in Ukraine. Therefore, audiences in Estonia will be among the very first to see the film on the big screen!

The world premiere of the film took place at Sheffield DocFest 2025, and the North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025. Filmed over three and a half years on the frontlines of the Russian-Ukrainian war, “A SIMPLE SOLDIER” follows the journey of a young Ukrainian filmmaker who exchanged his camera for a rifle and joined the Territorial Defense Forces. As an ordinary civilian drawn into extraordinary violence, he documents his transformation from storyteller to soldier - capturing fear, loss, resilience, and at the same time preserving rare moments of humanity amid the chaos of the war.

“The story of A SIMPLE SOLDIER is deeply personal, yet at the same time it speaks to the experience of countless Ukrainians whose lives have been shattered by the war,” – says co-director Juan Camilo Cruz.

On 24 February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the life of director Artem Ryzhykov changed forever. His path led him to join the Territorial Defense Forces, while his beloved Iryna remained at home together with dreams of a future that the war might never allow. Given the call sign “Canon,” Artem takes his camera to the battlefield, determined to document the war from within.

The film depicts Artem amid the chaos of modern warfare - moments of fear, difficult decisions, and unexpected bonds of friendship with his comrades Marta, Phantom, Medic, and Serhii.
Haunted by his father’s wish that he become a filmmaker rather than a soldier, Artem comes to realize that this film is the very one his father had always dreamed he would make. More than just a story about war, A SIMPLE

SOLDIER is a deeply human journey of love, loss, resilience, and the unbreakable spirit of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary conditions. The film conveys a vital truth: war does not only destroy - it can also bring out the extraordinary in people.

• Production: Buttermilk; Propagate Content; Ventureland; Erzya Films; Demolition Films
• Directors: Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz
• Producers: Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz, Howard T. Owens, Ben Silverman
• Executive Producers: James Packer, John Battsek, Marcel Mettelsiefen, Andrew Korkin, Catalina Ramirez, Jonathan Schaerf
• Editing: Jesper Osmund, Ines Boffi
• Music: Úlfur Hansson
• Cinematography: Artem Ryzhykov, Ruslan Hiryn
• Genre: Documentary / War / Drama
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Year: 2025
• Countries of Production: Ukraine, USA, United Kingdom
• Country of Filming: Ukraine
• Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English (with English subtitles)

Screening: A SIMPLE SOLDIER will be followed by a Q&A with director Artem Ryzhykov, offering audiences a unique opportunity to speak directly with the person who documented the story on the frontline.

• When: 4 October 2025 at 13:00
• Where: Sõprus Cinema, Tallinn, Vana-Posti 8

Entry: Your charitable donation in support of Ukraine

We look forward to seeing you there!