Elwira Niewiera's 'Women and War' Heads to IDFA Main Competition

Rise and Shine World Sales has acquired international rights to Elwira Niewiera's documentary "Women and War," ahead of its world premiere in the Main Competition at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, running Nov. 12-22.

The film follows four Ukrainian women — Olena, Yuliia, Iryna and Lena — over one year of long-term trauma therapy in the remote Ukrainian mountains. All four are survivors of war crimes committed during the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. Each has survived captivity, torture, sexual violence, months hiding in dark basements, or the loss of loved ones. The therapy offers them a safe space to confront trauma and gradually regain emotional and physical balance.

Niewiera has spent years working alongside women in Ukraine who survived war crimes. Her voice anchors the film's purpose.

"For years, I've been working alongside women in Ukraine who have survived war crimes, and one thing has become very clear: for them, the war does not end when the weapons fall silent," Niewiera said. "It remains present in their thoughts, in their bodies, and in their daily routines. Violence against women in conflict is still frequently ignored, despite the fact that rape and torture are deliberately used as tools to break women and destabilize entire communities."

What does the film set out to do?

Niewiera frames the project as a corrective to how survivor stories are usually told. She refused to define her subjects solely through their trauma.

"As a filmmaker and as a woman, I felt a responsibility to give these women a space where their voices could be heard," she said. "I didn't want to define them only through their trauma. I wanted to show their courage, their strength and the small steps they take toward healing."

She added: "I want this film to give these women back their dignity and show the world how incredibly strong and determined they are to reclaim their lives. For me, making this film was also a way of taking action. I wanted to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of war and the urgent need to support survivors worldwide."

What did the sales agent say?

Anja Dziersk of Rise and Shine placed the acquisition in a broader historical frame.

"It is well known that violence against women has been used as a weapon of war for centuries. But it is hard to think of a film that places the horrors of imprisonment and torture in a context that draws the viewer in on such an emotional level," Dziersk said. "Elwira Niewiera shines a light on the fact that war is not waged only on the battlefield. We admire the courage and strength of these women, who open up in conversation and confront their trauma as part of the healing process. This is a film about life. About how you can go on after the unimaginable has happened to you."

Who made it, and where has Niewiera shown before?

The production credits span three countries:

• Hans Robert Eisenhauer for Germany's Ventana Film
• Maciej Kubicki for Poland-based Telemark
• Natalia Krasilnikova for Art Dialogue in Ukraine

"Women and War" is co-produced with ZDF and TVP, in cooperation with ARTE.

Niewiera arrives at IDFA with an established festival record. Her previous films include "The Hamlet Syndrome" (2022), "The Prince and the Dybbuk" (2017) and "The Domino Effect" (2014). Those works screened at the Venice Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, IDFA, Hot Docs, DOK Leipzig and Krakow Film Festival.

The Amsterdam premiere now gives the four women's stories a global platform, with Rise and Shine positioned to carry the film to broadcasters and festivals worldwide.