Winnipeg composer channels Ukrainian refugees' stories in powerful new documentary

When immigrants settle in a new country, their hearts often remain withtheir home country.

So how do they cope when that countryis under attack?

For Tetyana Haraschuk, 26, a Ukraine-born Winnipeg musician, the answer to that question lies in the thing she knows best: music.

"When the war first started, it really hit me and I was not in a good place," she said.

So Haraschuk searched for a way tohelp those affected by the Russian invasion and channel her own feelings of helplessness.

Voices of Freedom, a new hour-long documentary produced for CBC's Absolutely Canadian, is the result, in part.

The filmchronicles Haraschuk's journey of processing the Russia-Ukraine war through music. Produced by Winnipeg-based Ice River Films, the film follows Haraschuk as she talks to Ukrainian refugees about their experiences fleeing the war.

In all, she spoke to 21 refugees, and then travelled to Poland to reunite with her cousin and grandmother, who fled the war. (Her family has since returned to Ukraine.)

"I had to sit on the receiving end of hours of conversations about something horrible," she said. "It was one of the most emotionally hard things that I have ever had to do."

Haraschuk, a multi-instrumentalist, emotionally processed the content of those conversations. Seven themes emerged, including anxiety,dreams, and powerless. Haraschuk then composed one song for each theme.

Her album will be released on Spotify on Aug. 16.

Despite the weight of the stories some of which are documented in the film co-producer and director Sam Karney insists that this documentary is an important film for Canadians to see.

"The war's been going on for two years. And of course, naturally, there's a bit of war fatigue,"said Karney.

"Hopefully the film gets people to understand that there's still people whose lives are being turned upside down."

Voices of Freedomwill premiere with a free screening, followed by a question and answer session, on Aug. 15 at 8 p.m.at the Park Theatre in Winnipeg. The tickets are free and can be booked online here.

Haraschuk hopes that audiences take away not just anunderstanding of the horrors of the two-and-a half-year-long war she hopesVoices of Freedom will enhance Canadians' empathy for not just refugees, but for humankind.

"The world is in a really bad place right now.I thinkthat you just have to be a little more invested in the world than you think you have to be," said Haraschuk, who still has close family living in Ukraine.

"You don't have to feel like you need to solve all the world'sproblems, but you could at least start caring about [your neighbour] who lives across the street and help her, and share each other's pain, and share each other's joy. "

Voices of Freedom streams free on CBC Gem starting Aug. 16.

It will air onCBCTV in Manitoba on Aug 17 at 8 p.m. CT.