It was the first Saturday in April, 2022. The Smart City Diaries team (Brandon, Zac, Anna, Debbie) was at a Circuit Launch Robotics Block Party in early April 2022, interviewing, filming and enjoying the creative bedlam of innovation, technology and fun surrounding us!

And then we met Ken Pontac. Drawn to his display booth by the fun and downright weird robotic puppets he encouraged us kids to play with, I soon found out that Ken had greater concerns on his mind: his friend Milena, her Mom, her Granny, and their cat - refugees from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Following the loss of their home in the war’s early days, Milena and her family eventually were extracted from the hotel basement they had been hiding in and sent to a Russian filtration camp somewhere in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. It was there that Ken lost communication with his friend for weeks.

Within days Brandon and I were committed to following Ken, Milena, Mom, Granny and Anfisa wherever this story would take us. Inspired by Ken, moved by the family’s horrific circumstances and compelled by history we were determined to document this family’s tragedy for the world to see.

And of course - it’s not over. Millions of people will remain internally displaced in Ukraine in 2024, with 5.9 million refugees forecast across the region, and thousands more outside of Europe.

This is one story.

Follow Out From the Ashes - the continuing story:

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• Web site: http://outfromtheashes.film/