Faith in Resistance

An Iranian documentary filmmaker, Ali Pakzad, travels to Ukraine through Poland—against the official stance of his own government, which supports Russia in the war. What begins as a journalistic visit turns into a deeply personal journey, as he meets Ukrainian women who choose to stay and resist, despite the dangers of war.

While many have fled to safety, these women have decided to remain—to defend their homes, care for their communities, and keep their culture alive. Some fight by distributing aid and raising morale. Others use art, music, and volunteer work as their tools of resistance. From a rock singer in Lviv to a painter teaching war-traumatized children, their stories form the emotional core of the film.

Faith in Resistance reveals a different side of the war—one rarely seen in headlines. It is a story of courage, creativity, and hope. It also follows the filmmaker’s own struggle: a man from Iran, telling the story of a people his government does not support. By doing so, he challenges stereotypes, crosses political lines, and seeks to build human connections through truth and empathy.