Film by Jasmin Thoma: Asking Ukrainians: What war really does to people

In April 2026, a series of interviews was conducted in Ukraine to explore how the war affects people’s mental health. The conversations focused on topics such as trauma, stress, exhaustion, and anxiety. This project aims to reveal what war really does to people by letting those affected speak for themselves. We spoke to filmmaker Jasmin Thoma

You were above average informed about the situation in Ukraine, but personal experiences and talking to people affected add another dimension. How did your trip to Ukraine change your perception?

It definitely changed a lot on an emotional level, since of course when you sit down with the people
and listen to their stories and how they affect them mentally, it feels way more real compared to
when you just hear about what is happening on the news. I think you also get a better understanding
of what it is like to live through the war, when you experience the sleepless nights due to air raid
sirens or the sudden fear when the alert starts seemingly out of nowhere, sometimes even during the
day. For example it happened to me twice that I came home after work and had just started to cook
myself dinner and suddenly the air alert started.

Of course I cannot understand what it is like to live this reality for years. You can only fully
comprehend when you actually experience it on a daily basis.

How do you feel about the finished product? The last time we talked about your film, it was still in the post-production process.

Visually I´m very satisfied with the result, thanks to the professional work of the camera man and
the editor. I also think that through the interviews I got some very good content and important
topics are discussed. I hope the film will help to make more people aware of what Ukrainians are
going through right now and how all of this will affect them probably for the rest of their lives. And
maybe it will motivate someone to actively support the people of Ukraine.