The Eukrainian captures your attention from the very first frame, with a face-to-camera shot that fixes the gaze of its protagonist – Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishnya – for an uncomfortably long moment.
From that point on, we become eager to learn more about this young woman. Who is she? What’s her story? How did she become deputy premier in war-torn Ukraine?
This opening scene sets the tone, a fly-on-the-wall, personal and political account of Stefanishnya’s and Ukraine’s journey on the path to European integration.
It’s accompanied by an evocative soundtrack—haunting music and plaintive sounds reminiscent of air-raid sirens —that unsettles and disturbs, warning that the threat of war is ever-present.
There are stark reminders of the extraordinary circumstances Stefanishnya faces: a night-time interview in her sleeping compartment while she travels across a blackout-stricken Ukraine, the only way to reach other European capitals from Kyiv; revisiting the secret, underground location she initially used when Russia launched its full-scale invasion; recalling the trauma of sending her children away for their safety, and later experiencing a complex moment as she proudly watches her young son learning to box.
Stefanishnya’s strong personality drives The Eukrainian; she manages her mandate, dedicates hours to it, overcomes legislative hurdles, and gains political benefits. A trained lawyer but relatively new to the international stage, the deputy premier navigates the corridors of European power with apparent ease and achieves diplomatic success.
We are left wondering how this remarkable woman developed the temperament and resilience to achieve all she has. Stefanishnya describes growing up in Odessa, a multiethnic port city celebrated for its rich cultural and historical mix, which she credits with fostering her sense of civic duty and inclusivity.
It’s tempting to idealise a young woman who has thrived in such circumstances. Or to think of her as a kind of everywoman, symbolising the strength and endurance that all Ukrainian women have had to show during the years of war. Her all-female staff further reinforces the idea that Ukrainian women are more than just playing their part in their country’s future.
Stefanishnya is eager to downplay her personal role, remarking in a video address after the premiere at the Brussels International Film Festival that she felt uncomfortable with the documentary’s heavy focus on her. Still, she hoped she had adequately represented her compatriots and country.
Sadly, we are all too familiar with the events of the war, which have shaped the backdrop to Europe and global affairs over the past three and a half years.
We are less familiar with Ukraine’s ambitious EU accession process, which has run in parallel: submitting its EU application just days after Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and working tirelessly until December 2023, when the Council of 27 EU national leaders agreed to open negotiations despite the threat of a Hungarian veto.
Belgium’s European Union Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management and Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, introduced The Eukrainian at the Brussels screening. Lahbib described her visit to Bucha as the Belgian foreign minister, a month after the atrocities committed by Russian troops in the Ukrainian town near Kyiv, and highlighted the quiet heroism of Ukrainians that inspired everyone to act – matching their courage with our decisions and our actions … working around the clock to secure EU agreement to begin accession talks.
Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, Jessica Rosencrantz, delivered an equally passionate statement of “Sweden’s unwavering support to Ukraine…our top foreign policy priority. Ukraine can count on Sweden every step of the way… for as long as it takes.” It’s clear both women developed a strong bond working with Olha Stefanishyna, “a leader with a clear compass, stamina and determination that reminds us that peace and freedom are worth fighting for”.
The documentary’s director, Viktor Nordenskiöld, seemed sensitive to the broader public mood, admitting to wondering how the film would be received in light of events in Gaza. I can’t have been the only member of the audience thinking about the lack of EU action in contrast to its support for Ukraine.
Just days after The Eukrainian premiered in Brussels, Hungary’s President, Viktor Orbán, blocked Ukraine’s progress along the EU accession path, arguing the screening criteria had not been met. Nevertheless, Ukraine completed its screening process in record time by September 2025, and the latest EU report on its progress will be issued this month.
European Commission officials appear prepared to promote Ukraine’s accession, contending that the initial set of EU chapters will address issues that Hungary’s leader claims are barriers. Brussels will need a strategy to handle Hungary, which was one of the EU’s most promising new members in 2004 but has since become a far-right spoiler and supporter of Russia.
Orbán’s latest move, offering to host a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Budapest, is clearly part of his ongoing power play between Russia and the bloc.
Ongoing domestic issues emerge in The Eukrainian when corruption is revealed in the office of a government colleague. Stefanishnya shows her disappointment but remains pragmatic about the need to tackle corruption wherever it is found.
Just weeks after The Eukrainian’s screening, Stefanishnya became embroiled in corruption allegations involving her ex-husband’s potential involvement in abuses by the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).
Stefanishnya divorced in 2017 due to domestic abuse, and although her ex-husband did not appear in the documentary, they have remained in contact regarding their children and have appeared together in public. A poorly drafted anti-corruption bill introduced by the Zelenskyy government around the same period increased tensions.
Posting Olha Stefanishyna as ambassador to the United States seemed to be Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s way of diverting attention from her and the story. No doubt her diplomatic skills will be tested by Trump’s White House and his unpredictable approach towards Ukraine.
However, something suggests we haven’t heard the last of the young woman from Odessa, who has risen and flourished in such extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
This article is part of a series focusing on women and culture. In partnership with Elles Tournent, the Belgian nonprofit association of female filmmakers.
Screenshot courtesy of FreetownFilms. All rights reserved.
