Ukrainian Action's ‘Taras’ Documentary Film Screens at University College London
7 May 2025
Documentary film co-produced by Ukrainian Action and legendary US ski film company Matchstick Productions tells the story of Taras Bihus, a Ukrainian snowboarder turned soldier who finds solace in the mountains from the trauma of war.
Ukrainian Action is a UK charity and US non-profit founded in March 2022 to support the survival and recovery of Ukraine.
Screening raised over £7,000 for the upcoming Ukrainian Action Heroes summer rehabilitation programme, which offers nature-based recovery for veterans through guided mountain hikes, psychological support and mindfulness workshops.
London - 07 May 2025 - Ukrainian Action, a UK charity and US nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting Ukraine since March 2022, screened a short film at UCL Bloomsbury Theater in central London in partnership with UCL's Faculty of Life Sciences to raise awareness about mental health among Ukrainian veterans. Funds raised at the event will support Ukraine Action’s summer rehabilitation programme for veterans.
The film follows the journey of Taras, a Ukrainian competitive snowboarder who enlisted to defend his country and, after experiencing the traumas of war, returned to the mountains as part of his healing process. It was named a finalist at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Canada, and has since been screened at several other festivals in North America, including Carbondale, Crested Butte, Wasatch Mountain, Fresh Coast, Santa Fe International, and Big Sky Documentary. Next screenings are at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival during May 21-25 in California and the New Zealand Mountain Film & Book Festival during June 20-27.
The screening was followed by an expert discussion panel hosted by Dominic Nicholls, Associate Editor (Defence) at The Telegraph and host of the award winning podcast ‘Ukraine: The Latest’. He was joined by Eduard Fesko, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Ukrainian Embassy to the UK, Jeffery Hartman, Founder & CEO of Ukrainian Action; Oksana Pyzik, Associate Professor at the UCL School of Pharmacy and Global Health Advisor; and Gilly Norton, CEO of UK Charity Supporting Wounded Veterans, which has been providing support to UK veterans through mountain sports since 2013.
The panel discussed the mental health challenges veterans face upon returning from war and offered valuable insights into the most effective ways to support their recovery.
Jeffrey Hartman, Founder & CEO of Ukrainian Action, remarked that Taras’ story had inspired the pioneering Ukrainian Action Heroes rehabilitation program, teaching veterans to ski and snowboard in the Ukrainian Carpathians. “We promised Taras that, if he could share his story, we would create a film to raise awareness about the challenges facing Ukrainian veterans and raise funds to support an impactful program in the mountains to support them.”
Oksana Pyzik, Associate Professor at UCL School of Pharmacy highlighted "the difficulties Ukrainian veterans are encountering is more complicated than what we have seen [historically]”. On mountain rehabilitation programs, she remarked, “there is statistically significant evidence that shows being in these natural environments is incredibly important for mental resilience".
The role of government and the private sector in recovering from war efforts was discussed with Eduard Fesko, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Ukrainian Embassy in the UK, commenting, “It will be a learning process for all. Governments are not the most flexible and adaptable, but once they start working, they can scale output. That is why it is important to have input from charities and the international community as to what to focus on and where to apply the biggest efforts. Governments can give scale and charities can be much more efficient at identifying how and what [to do]. I want to thank Jeffrey for starting this important conversation and highlighting these key [mental health] issues”.
The discussion panel was followed by an auction of a bottle of wine from Ukraine's Beykush Winery, which raised £1,000 for Ukrainian Action’s summer rehabilitation programme.
The Ukrainian Action Heroes programme was created to provide support to veterans and their families through recreational and nature-based therapy, helping to restore emotional well-being, improve physical health, and facilitate reintegration into civilian life. The primary goal is to help veterans and their families overcome stress and psychological trauma through participation in a variety of therapeutic, physical, psychological, spiritual, and recreational activities. The programme also emphasises reconnecting with nature in the scenic and serene Carpathian Mountains to find inner resources for recovery.
The event raised over £7,000 for the programme.
‘Taras’ was co-produced by Matchstick Productions, directed by Zeppelin Zeerip of Field Work and Ben Sturgulewski of Sturgefilm.
Contact Ukrainian Action to arrange a private screening of Taras.
Ukrainian Action operates transparently to ensure donors and volunteers feel connected to the endeavour. Many donors also volunteer to drive vehicles in UA’s humanitarian aid convoys from London to Poland. Supporters may follow convoy shipments and progress through the organisation’s Instagram account.
How to help
To support a veteran to receive rehabilitation, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/taras. To donate generally to Ukrainian Action’s programs or volunteer, please visit www.ukrainianaction.com. To buy Ukrainian Action merchandise to support the relief effort, please visit the organisation’s online store. All profits go to support the delivery of trucks and humanitarian materials to Ukraine and to fund veterans to receive rehabilitation. To follow Ukrainian Action on its social media accounts, please visit its Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
About Ukrainian Action
Headquartered in London, Ukrainian Action is a UK charity and U.S. nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting the survival and recovery of Ukraine. Co-founded days after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, by CEO Jeffrey Hartman, his Ukrainian-born wife Natasha and Matthew Morgan, Ukrainian Action has raised over £4 million GBP and donated more than 370 vehicles and hundreds of pallets of physical humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine. The organisation is a network of over 40 core volunteers and more than 450 volunteer drivers. In February 2024, the Ukrainian Action Heroes rehabilitation program was launched to teach veterans to ski and snowboard in the Carpathian Mountains. Ukrainian Action is a CIO registered with the United Kingdom Charity Commission with UK Registered Charity Number 1202133, and is a U.S. tax-exempt public charity under 501(c)(3): FEIN 88-1173971. All donations from individual U.S. taxpayers are tax-deductible. To learn more, please visit: www.ukrainianaction.com.
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