“We Were Recruits” by Lubomir Levitsky is coming to the big screens. Premiere: May 2

A documentary about the 3rd separate assault brigade by the famous Ukrainian director, screenwriter and producer Lyubomir Levitsky (“Adit”, “Shadows of Unforgotten Ancestors”, “Follow Me”) is being released nationally – from May 2 it will be possible to watch it in most popular Ukrainian cinemas.

“We Were Recruits” is a joint project by Lyubomir Levitsky and the 3rd OshBr, filmed with the support of Favbet without attracting public funds. The film was created in the mockumentary genre, which is unusual for Ukrainian cinema, combining fiction with documentary filming and the use of real characters.

In the center of the plot of the film is a young man with the pseudo “Journalist”, who, instead of describing historical events for the media, decides to become part of them and “break into the decisive battle.” This decision brings him into the famous brigade as a recruit. The role of the main character was played by actor Boris Savenko.

The rest of the film’s actors play themselves, because they are regular fighters of the brigade. Throughout the film, military personnel tell their stories to the Journalist, giving viewers a unique opportunity to hear and see what lies behind the reporting of the battles for the liberation of Ukraine.

“We Were Recruits” is 8 very personal but powerful stories. These are not just stories about grueling training and fierce assaults, but a deep look at what it means to be a Ukrainian warrior, because the military personnel here are not just abstract “defenders”, but first of all people with their own philosophy, views, dreams and characters.

“All my cinematic life I have been trying to pass our Ukrainian realities through my director’s vision. The war forced me to switch to documentaries. My first work was the film “Follow Me,” which received millions of views on YouTube and received 8 international awards. The second work was the film “We Were Recruits,” in which I used documentary materials filmed by the soldiers themselves. My goal is to lay the beginning of elitism status for our warriors through cinema. Today is hard for everyone, but only together we will win. Our strength is in our unity”says Lyubomir Levitsky.

“Lubomir Levitsky’s film demonstrates a new approach to covering the war and the stories of Ukrainian military personnel. Stories that we think are worth remembering. We thank the director for his unique vision, and the soldiers of the 3rd Special Brigade for their daily work to liberate Ukrainian land.”they say at Favbet.