Uprooted

USA for UNHCR is pleased to feature Uprooted, by a cast and crew of Ukrainian refugees and in solidarity with refugees around the world, along with the documentary The Earth is Blue as an Orange, Ukrainian music, art and more.

Dear Refugee Allies,

In solidarity with Ukrainian refugee artists and their stories, we are pleased to feature two compelling films – along with music, art and cuisine – through USA for UNHCR’s Culture Collective. Our featured short film, Uprooted, is by a cast and crew of over 50 Ukrainian refugees who were forced to flee their homeland in 2022. The film shows the traumatic impacts of fleeing the war and expresses a connection to other refugees around the world, including interviews with the film’s actors.

The Earth is Blue as an Orange is a documentary of a Ukrainian family living in the Donbas region of Ukraine in the midst of war. The family of aspiring filmmakers captures their day-to-day fears and struggles, along with their joys and celebrations, in an intimate film for which director Iryna Tsilyk was named best director for world documentary at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

February 2023 marks one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, triggering the biggest and fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. The devastation and destruction inside Ukraine have been staggering, uprooting a third of the population. The war shows no signs of abating, and the worst appears far from over. Yet the resilience of the Ukrainian people has been remarkable in the midst of destruction of homes, schools and infrastructure, tremendous loss of life, fear and trauma.

At USA for UNHCR we are grateful for your continued compassion and support as war and displacement continue. Thank you for honoring these courageous and inspirational artists by viewing their work and getting involved through the resources offered below.

With appreciation,

Jennifer Simon

Senior Director, Advocacy and Community Engagement

Uprooted

No one uprooted by war can unsee the horrors they have witnessed—this is the powerful message of “Uprooted”, a short film released by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, featuring a cast and crew of more than 50 refugees from Ukraine now living in Germany. Uprooted depicts the trauma of fleeing war and is an expression of solidarity with refugees around the world.

Watch

The Earth is Blue as an Orange

To cope with the daily trauma of living in a war-zone, a single mother and her children make a film about their life in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Director Iryna Tsilyk films the family as they shoot their own movie inspired by their lives during a time of war. The feature won the best directing award for world documentary at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Watch