Documentary “Attention: Children” About Wartime Childhood Opens in Ukrainian Cinemas

Ukrainian documentary Attention: Children (Обережно: діти), directed by Svitlana Rudyuk, will open in Ukrainian cinemas on September 24, 2026. The feature-length film explores how Russia’s full-scale war has transformed childhood in Ukraine, following children whose experiences include injury and bereavement, life under occupation, evacuation, deportation and the loss of their homes.

The film was produced over three years, from March 2022 through 2025, with more than 500 hours of footage recorded during production. Its world premiere took place in September 2025 in the National Competition of the Odesa International Film Festival. It was subsequently presented at DOK Leipzig Film Market and IDFA Docs for Sale, followed by special screenings abroad.

Rudyuk, who also produced the film, said the Ukrainian theatrical release was important so that the children featured in the documentary could share their stories with audiences in their own country.

On September 24, Caution: Children will screen in cinemas in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr and Bila Tserkva.