One of the 20 best films to help understand what’s happening in Ukraine, documentaries and fiction features that contextualize the unfolding horrors in the former Soviet republic, as chosen by researchers at Ukraine’s Dovzhenko national film center in Kyiv.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa in 2014, Maidan chronicles the civil uprising that toppled the government of Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich and has since developed into an international crisis between Russia and the West. Filmed in stunning long takes, sans commentary, Maidan is a record of a momentous historical event and an extraordinary study of the popular uprising as a social, cultural and philosophical phenomenon.

The Guardian says: "Sergei Loznitsa’s study of the Revolution of Dignity in Kyiv in 2013 and 2014 that recorded various stages of the protest on a fixed camera. The wide international reach of Loznitsa’s unbiased view of chaotic historical events meant it became one of Euromaidan’s most important documents." Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival. Nominated for Best Documentary at the London Film Festival.

Stream the 2-hour film at the link. Log on to Kanopy to watch for free with your library card.