“Children in the Fire” Moves Audiences at the Munich Security Conference
In February 2025, Children in the Fire held a powerful private screening at the Munich Security Conference, drawing world leaders, diplomats, and dignitaries into the heartbreaking yet hopeful stories of Ukraine’s youngest survivors of war.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, the documentary profiles children whose lives were forever changed by Russia’s full-scale invasion. Among them are:
Yana, 12, who lost both legs in the Kramatorsk train station bombing but now runs on blades.
Roman, 8, severely burned in a missile strike that killed his mother, who has returned to music and even ballroom dancing.
Sasha, 7, a gymnast who lost her leg in an attack near Odessa and continues to train and win competitions.
Blending live-action with animation and weaving in diary entries, the film gives audiences a window into the resilience and imagination of children growing up amid unimaginable violence.
Several of the children featured in the film attended the Munich screening, moving the audience to tears. “Men were crying,” Afineevsky recalled. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), speaking from the stage, called the film “absolutely compelling and disturbing,” adding, “I wish that every American could watch this documentary… there’s no greater crime than the atrocities against innocent children.”
Afineevsky, who previously directed Winter on Fire and Freedom on Fire, emphasized that Ukraine must have a seat at the table in any peace negotiations: “It’s the future of Ukraine. It’s everything about Ukraine. Ukraine must be there.”
With festival premieres and wider distribution ahead, Children in the Fire is positioned not only as a cinematic achievement but also as a moral call to action. As Afineevsky notes, its message resonates far beyond Ukraine: “It’s kids in Syria, kids in Sudan, kids under the guns in schools in America. I think it’s important to bring these stories and show what kids are suffering.”
Chairman Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, US Congressman Michael McCaul
Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and the Media, Mr. Nathanael Liminski