On 18 February, the European Economic and Social Committee held a plenary side event marking four years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine.

The programme included two screenings that painted a powerful portrait of the lived realities of war and Europe’s unwavering solidarity with Ukraine.

Hey Czechs!, a lyrical documentary by Czech director David Van, was filmed during two humanitarian missions organised by the Czech initiative Memory of Nations, which brought medical supplies and vehicles to Ukraine. The author, who tells the story through the eyes of someone encountering the war for the first time, offers a glimpse of humanitarian workers in action and life in war-torn areas. Through frontline encounters with locals and soldiers, he captures moments of life under constant air strikes, the horrors left behind by Russian occupiers but also the humanity and humour that endure despite the devastation.

The event also featured a short Polish reportage produced by Deutsche Welle, Grupa Valentyna, which portrays a group of volunteers from Gdańsk supporting Ukrainian children affected by the war.

EESC President Séamus Boland and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov opened the event. The screenings were followed by a discussion moderated by EESC Vice-President for Communication Marija Hanževački, with contributions from the film’s director David Van, Head of Ukraine Support at Memory of Nations Martin Ocknecht and Head of Deutsche Welle Poland Bartosz Dudek. (ab)