Ukraine to Rhode Island:
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A New Documentary Currently in Production
After a Russian missile strike in Odesa left twelve-year-old Sasha with a traumatic brain injury, his world was suddenly split in two. Forced to leave his home, his friends, and his father—an officer in the Ukrainian Navy still fighting on the front lines—Sasha and his mother sought safety and treatment in an unlikely place: coastal Rhode Island.
Years earlier, Sasha had lived there briefly as a young child, when his father studied at the Naval War College in Newport. Now he has returned, not as a visitor, but as a refugee of war, rebuilding his life far from the conflict that shaped it.
Through Sasha’s eyes, this documentary traces recovery, displacement, and the quiet work of growing up in the shadow of war. Set against the rhythms of daily life in Rhode Island and the constant absence of a father at war, the film reveals how resilience, community, and hope can take root—even when home is an ocean and continent away.
Through Sasha’s eyes, this documentary traces recovery, displacement, and the quiet work of growing up in the shadow of war. Set against the rhythms of daily life in Rhode Island and the constant absence of a father at war, the film reveals how resilience, community, and hope can take root—even when home is an ocean and continent away.
The film will weave together intimate, character-driven moments from both Ukraine and Rhode Island, including:
This multi-location structure emphasizes resilience, displacement, community, and the enduring bonds of family under wartime conditions.
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Summary
A Ukrainian boy finds himself rebuilding life far from home, in coastal Jamestown, Rhode Island, while his father continues to serve on the front lines of Ukraine’s war.
Sasha’s connection to New England began years before the full-scale invasion. In 2017, his father—an officer in the Ukrainian Navy—was invited by the U.S. Navy to study at the Naval War College in Newport. During that time, Sasha and his mother experienced a quiet, temporary life in coastal Rhode Island, forming friendships and ties that extended across the region. When the program ended, the family returned to Odesa, carrying New England with them as a place of safety and memory.
War shattered that peace. A Russian missile strike in Odesa left Sasha with a traumatic brain injury, forcing his mother to make an impossible choice: flee Ukraine so her son could receive care and recover. They returned to the place where their American story had first begun—this time seeking refuge and healing, supported by communities across Rhode Island and greater New England—while Sasha’s father remained behind to fight.
Through Sasha’s daily life, recovery, and quiet resilience, this documentary tells the story of a child caught between two worlds: one defined by war, the other by safety and compassion. It is a story of displacement and belonging, of a boy growing up far from home, and of how love, sacrifice, and community can bridge continents in the shadow of war.
Sasha’s connection to New England began years before the full-scale invasion. In 2017, his father—an officer in the Ukrainian Navy—was invited by the U.S. Navy to study at the Naval War College in Newport. During that time, Sasha and his mother experienced a quiet, temporary life in coastal Rhode Island, forming friendships and ties that extended across the region. When the program ended, the family returned to Odesa, carrying New England with them as a place of safety and memory.
War shattered that peace. A Russian missile strike in Odesa left Sasha with a traumatic brain injury, forcing his mother to make an impossible choice: flee Ukraine so her son could receive care and recover. They returned to the place where their American story had first begun—this time seeking refuge and healing, supported by communities across Rhode Island and greater New England—while Sasha’s father remained behind to fight.
Through Sasha’s daily life, recovery, and quiet resilience, this documentary tells the story of a child caught between two worlds: one defined by war, the other by safety and compassion. It is a story of displacement and belonging, of a boy growing up far from home, and of how love, sacrifice, and community can bridge continents in the shadow of war.
Impact
Beyond documenting one family’s journey, Sasha's Story seeks to deepen Americans’ understanding of Ukraine and of a people who have become our newest democratic allies. By placing viewers inside an intimate, transatlantic family story shaped by war, displacement, resilience, and community, the film humanizes a global conflict through the lens of childhood, sacrifice, and hope.
The impact strategy for Sasha's Story builds on the proven success of the Trek to Bucha trilogy and is amplified through a multi-platform distribution and engagement plan that includes:
Together, these outlets position Sasha's Story to reach broad national and international audiences while fostering dialogue, empathy, and sustained engagement with Ukraine’s ongoing struggle for freedom.
The impact strategy for Sasha's Story builds on the proven success of the Trek to Bucha trilogy and is amplified through a multi-platform distribution and engagement plan that includes:
- Curated in-person and virtual community screenings
- Pursuit of a national broadcast distribution via PBS and partner networks
- Strategic film festival participation to drive awareness and reviews
- Availability across streaming platforms
- Targeted educational distribution for schools, universities, and civic organizations
Together, these outlets position Sasha's Story to reach broad national and international audiences while fostering dialogue, empathy, and sustained engagement with Ukraine’s ongoing struggle for freedom.
Join Our Cause!
Stand with us in telling this urgent story. Your support helps bring Sasha's Story to audiences around the world—through screenings, broadcasts, education, and advocacy—amplifying the voices of Ukrainian families living through war. Whether through a donation, a partnership, or hosting a screening, you become part of a growing movement using film to inform, inspire, and mobilize. Together, we can ensure these stories are seen, heard, and never forgotten.
The Director
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Steve Richards directs and produces all of TheoEco’s documentaries. He first traveled to Ukraine in March 2022 to film Trek to Bucha, returned in January 2023 to shoot Back to Bucha, and completed additional production shoots there in 2025 for Beyond Bucha. With seven documentaries to his credit, he co-founded TheoEco in 2015.
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Films in the Trek to Bucha Series:
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Our Partners
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Ukrainian Catholic University
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In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance. - Phillis Wheatley - 1774