The Price of Conflict

Directed by

Volodymyr Sydko

Since the very beginning of Ukrainian independence, Russian propaganda has deceived the miners of Donbass. They were told that the entire economy of Ukraine is surviving just due to their work, and if they separate from Ukraine, all the money from the sold coal will remain in the Donbass. In fact, all mines were unprofitable and survived on subsidies. So when Russia held a referendum for the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics in the occupied part of Donbass in 2014, miners gladly supported it. However, it has become clear that Russia is not interested in the development of mines. Moreover, Russia has started to rob mines and fire workers. The film tells in detail why the miners believed the propaganda, how Russians looted the mines and mocked the miners, and what the economic consequences of the conflict were. Initially, the project was conceived as a 4-episode project-series, but in the end one episode was filmed, which became a full-fledged film.