The Ukrainian film "Cuba&Alaska" won the "Best Documentary Film" award at the Rome International Film Festival (Festa del Cinema di Roma), UNN reports with reference to the Ministry of Culture.
Details
The Ministry of Culture stated that the award at the Rome International Film Festival is historic.
In 2025, the festival, for the first time in its twenty years of existence, established a separate award for documentary cinema. The Ukrainian film became its first laureate.
The jury, consisting of Romanian director, cinematographer and producer Alexandru Nanau, director and screenwriter Santiago Maza, and producer Nadia Trevisan, announced its verdict during the awards ceremony on October 25. The Ukrainian work was recognized as the best among films from the "Progressive Cinema Competition" and "Special Screenings" sections.
Death and resilience in the midst of war. This work takes us to the front lines of our European war – a war tirelessly waged by ordinary people like us, for all of us – against a barbaric Russia that continues to bring death and destruction across our continent. At the heart of the film are two young Ukrainian women who live every day just a step away from death, even now, while we sit here in safety. With their extraordinary vitality and courage, they remind us never to give up on creativity and hope for the future, but to live this fragile life to the fullest.
About the film
"Cuba&Alaska" is the story of two combat medics, Cuba and Alaska, who together defend Ukraine, saving lives on the front lines. Together they overcome the challenges of war with courage, humor, and friendship. This is a story about how war changes, but does not destroy. Even in the darkest moments, one can preserve an inner light.
The film was created in an international co-production of Ukraine, Belgium, and France.
The film has already received two awards at the Brussels International Film Festival in the "Directors' Week" program - the jury prize and the audience award.
The world premiere of the film took place at one of the largest film festivals in Europe - Sheffield Doc Fest in Great Britain.
About the heroines
Yulia "Cuba" Sidorova is a paramedic, volunteer, servicewoman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and designer, originally from Kharkiv. As a volunteer, she joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014, serving in the hottest sections of the front. "Cuba" was a co-founder of the VETERANKA charitable foundation, which was born in the rapid response headquarters of the Movement on the first day of the full-scale invasion as one of the first volunteer headquarters in Ukraine. In April 2022, Yulia founded the by VTRNK workshop at the Movement's base, which was one of the first to start developing patterns and sewing women's military uniforms. In civilian life, Yulia was engaged in clothing design. Before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, her first products of her own brand were presented at Ukraine Fashion Week. And with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, "Cuba" gave all her equipment to establish the workshop. Initially, they developed patterns for women's ergonomic uniforms, studied the experience of American and Israeli uniforms. The first samples of the uniform passed a test drive by frontline defenders and were constantly improved. In parallel, Yulia developed her own brand CubitusDei.
"Alaska" is a combat medic, artist, and former journalist. After studying at Odesa Medical University, she worked in the media, and after the start of the full-scale invasion, she first joined as a volunteer at the rapid response headquarters of the VETERANKA Movement, and later decided to become a combat medic. Service taught the girl not to postpone her dreams. "Alaska" realized that she wanted to enter the Kharkiv School of Architecture when she was hiding from an enemy drone at a bus stop during the liberation of occupied Kharkiv region. When she returned to the base, she submitted her documents on the same day. After being wounded, she continues to serve in the National Guard, works with architectural themes, creates illustrations, and helps veterans with social adaptation.