Trim's Ukrainian family reunion story for RTE documentary this week
'The War at Home' airs on Monday night
The War at Home, a documentary which captures the Irish response to the crisis in Ukraine is set to air on RTÉ One on Monday 19th September at 9.35pm. It also follows the experiences of Ukrainians forced to travel to Ireland, as they and the already established Ukrainian community here watch the destruction of their motherland unfold from a distance of 3000km.
The documentary charts this period of turmoil from the invasion back in February to the continuing crisis which has seen over 40,000 refugees enter the country, and follows nine Ukrainian and Irish individuals who each share their remarkable stories and experiences.
Luba Healy, a Ukrainian woman living in Trim who drove over 3,000km from Meath to Ukraine after finally persuading her 99 year-old grandmother and 70 year-old mother to leave the war-torn country for safety shares the story of their emotional reunion.
Other interviewees include Anatoliy Prymakov, a Ukrainian-Irish man who describes putting his life on hold to run the Ukrainian Crisis Centre in Dublin. Kildare-based volunteer Rose Marie Hayden gave up her job as a solicitor to volunteer with the Irish Red Cross in Maynooth university, where Ukrainian refugees are being housed. David Dunne from Dublin, is married to a Ukrainian woman, Oksana, and shares their challenge to bring his heavily pregnant stepdaughter, Krystina safely back to Ireland.
Anton Krasun, a Ukrainian living in Dublin, talks about his role in the development of the ‘Call Russia' initiative, an international campaign that urges Russian speakers to help change Putin’s narrative by cold calling 40 million Russians with information about the war in Ukraine.
The War at Home is a moving, inspiring and engaging documentary that offers a human insight into the first-hand experiences of those who have been displaced, the continuing generosity of the Irish people and the challenges that lie ahead.
The War at Home will air on RTÉ One on Monday 19th September at 9.35pm and will be available online via the RTÉ Player.