Mama’s Voice, a documentary story of families bonding together during the Russian-Ukrainian war, will make its world premiere at the 21st LA Femme International Film Festival.
Written and directed by Ganna Yarovenko and produced by her sister and producing partner, Larysa Iarovenko, the film is set in the early days of the Russo Ukrainian war, when Ganna finds refuge in Poland with her children and mother, where they are taken in by Kaja’s family, while Yarovenko’s father and husband remain in a Russian occupied village near Kyiv.
Filmed in Mława, Poland, and Zabuchchia, Ukraine, the documentary began as a family project with a minimal budget after Ganna Yarovenko became a refugee in Poland.
In the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, film director Ganna flees with her children and elderly mother from Russian gunfire near Kyiv. Amidst the chaos, they find shelter in Poland with Kaja, an artist, singer, and mother of five, who welcomes them as family. Despite the language barrier, the Ukrainian and Polish mothers form a deep bond that helps Ganna confront trauma, loss, and the terrifying new reality of war.
Mama’s Voice is a microcosm of the war’s impact on one Ukrainian family and a reflection on their enduring ties to the motherland- those who fled, those who stayed, and what binds them together.
Director Yarovenko spoke about her wartime experience, saying “I have lost my voice twice—first after throat surgery, and again on February 24, 2022, during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As the occupying forces closed in on our home, I grabbed my children and fled to Poland, fearing for their safety.
She continues, “There, I met Kaja, an artist, singer, and mother of five, who welcomed us as family in their home. Through her friendship, I found my voice again. This film is my diary of those first months of war.”
The 21st LA Femme International Film Festival takes place from October 16th through October 19th, 2025. Mama’s Voice will screen at the Regal Cinemas on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 2 pm at LA Live.
Watch a trailer for Mama’s Voice below.
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