“RESCUE”: Ukrainian Film on Animal Evacuations in War Zones Heads to London’s Raindance Festival

Ukrainian documentary film RESCUE has been selected for the official program of the Raindance Film Festival in London. The selection was confirmed following the publication of the festival’s official program, where the picture appears among the featured titles.

The project is a Ukrainian–American co-production between the Ukrainian organization Every Animal and the independent US production company We Are All Animals.

RESCUE is a feature-length documentary that follows people who risk their lives to rescue animals from active war zones in Ukraine. While millions flee the fighting, these rescuers move in the opposite direction—through shelling and mined roads—to reach animals left behind, according to Every Animal.

The Raindance Film Festival is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most influential independent film events, with a three-decade history of showcasing bold and auteur-driven cinema.

The project is produced by Ukrainian activist and founder of the NGO Every Animal, Tamara Human, who said that RESCUE is not only a film about animal evacuation but also a study of moral choice under extreme conditions, as well as compassion as a conscious and sometimes radical act.

Filming took place across frontline and war-affected regions of Ukraine, including Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk, parts of Kharkiv region, and Zaporizhzhia region. The film’s protagonists come from different countries but are united by a shared conviction that every life has value, regardless of species.

Among them are a former Ukrainian soldier who became an animal rescuer, a Swiss volunteer who left a safe life behind, a Bulgarian woman who relocated to Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion to rescue war-affected cats, and an Italian who founded a shelter in Kyiv region and chose to remain, as reported by Every Animal organization.

While humanitarian attention is naturally focused on human survival, millions of animals remain outside any protection systems

Tamara Human

“RESCUE” producer

Among the animals featured is Olenka, a young goat evacuated from a destroyed village, who becomes a symbolic figure throughout the film, underscoring the moral weight of each rescue decision.

Sadie Frost, executive producer of RESCUE, described the film as “stunning and courageous,” adding: “It is a must-see film—to understand that every life matters.”

The film is directed by Alessio Sciazzi, whose previous work Cuori Liberi explored the bond between humans and animals. RESCUE marks his first documentary filmed in an active war zone.

The movie is set to have its world premiere on June 25, 2026.

Previously, soldiers of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great evacuated a cat and a dog from frontline positions using a drone, according to the animal rescue organization UAnimals.

According to the report, the drone had initially been used to deliver supplies to troops at the front. On its return flight, it was used to evacuate the animals, carrying them back from the position. The cat and dog were placed in secure bags attached to the drone’s frame to ensure their safety during the journey.

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