A documentary project about Ukrainian women who found refuge in Europe after Russia's invasion.

According to the UN, at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, over 12 million Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Around 6.4 million fled abroad — and the vast majority of them were women and children.

Before February 2022, each of them had their own life. In Mariupol — where you could just live and enjoy the sea through every season. In peaceful Kharkiv — where your mother’s hugs were always nearby. In Odesa — where you knew everyone and still kept discovering new little streets every day. And in Kyiv, Dnipro, Sumy, and hundreds of other towns and cities. There were plans and dreams for the future — studies, careers, family moments that made up everyday happiness.

And then — explosions, the first air raid sirens, hurried packing, and eventually crossing Ukraine’s border in search of safety for themselves and their loved ones.

We told the story of this difficult journey — the emotions behind every choice, life in new countries, and the constant longing to return home.

“People found themselves in situations, places, and circumstances they never imagined they would end up in. They had to rebuild their lives from scratch — settling in new places, learning new languages, and starting over. They were ready to take on this new path, and watching that process unfold is incredibly fascinating. That’s exactly what ‘Faraways’ is about,” says Artem Hryhorian.

Filming took place in Poland, Czechia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Austria, and Cyprus. The crew travelled over 13,000 km in just 47 days.