- December 8, 2025
- 9:20 pm
- Israel
Soon in Israel, the premiere of the documentary film “Okean Elzy: Observing the Storm” will take place — a work that tells the story of the main band of independent Ukraine. The screening will be held on December 2, 2025, in Tel Aviv and December 9, 2025, in Haifa. Language — Ukrainian, English subtitles. After the screening — an online Q&A with the creators.
The film is brought to Israel thanks to the cultural initiative Created in Ukraine, promoting Ukrainian cinema and modern culture.
The premiere in Ukraine took place on November 6, 2025.
Why this film is relevant
For the Ukrainian diaspora in Israel and all those interested in modern Ukraine, this film holds special significance. It shows the journey of the band Okean Elzy from its founding to becoming the main rock collective of the country, through personal dramas, conflicts, successes, and historical challenges. The band’s music has become the soundtrack to the lives of millions of Ukrainians and is deeply intertwined with what has happened in the country: revolutions, war, national awakening.
The screening in Israel is a cultural bridge between Ukraine and Israel, a reminder that creativity, freedom, and exchange remain alive despite challenges.
About the film: “Okean Elzy: Observing the Storm”
General description
A documentary biographical film dedicated to the history of the band Okean Elzy: from the first steps to stadiums, from self-belief to recognition, from struggle to the status of a generational symbol.
Film crew
Director: Artem Grigoryan
Screenwriter: Vadim Pereverzev
Producer: Maksym Serdyuk
Executive producers: Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and Yuriy Povoroznyk
Production: Ukraine, 2025
Studios: KNIFE Films and SWEET.TV Originals
Creation process
Work on the project began in July 2024 and lasted about a year and a half.
About a hundred people participated in the production — a scale rarely seen in Ukrainian documentaries.
Investments in the film exceeded ten million hryvnias.
The premiere in Ukraine took place on November 6, 2025, and gathered more than twenty thousand viewers and significant box office receipts in the first days.
Part of the first weekend’s income was directed to the rehabilitation of Ukrainian servicemen — an important initiative emphasizing the social nature of the project.
Content of the film
The film consists of several thematic blocks:
the early years of the band and its Lviv roots;
the first albums and the rapid rise to popularity;
discussions about internal crises, lineup changes, and creative disagreements;
the stage of stadium tours and large-scale concerts;
the band’s role in Ukraine’s public life during revolutions and war;
the influence of Okean Elzy’s music on culture, society, and the country’s emotional resilience.
The film includes unique archives: concert recordings, home videos, footage from video shoots, and fragments of studio work. For the first time, materials that have long remained in the personal archives of musicians and producers are presented.
Among the interviews are band members from different periods, sound engineers, guest musicians, friends of the collective, organizers of the first tours, as well as representatives of the Ukrainian music industry who witnessed the rise of the Okean Elzy phenomenon from the inside.
Why now
The year 2025 has become a moment when it is especially important for Ukrainian culture to understand its history. Against the backdrop of war, mass emigration, and complex social processes, such films help preserve cultural memory and support the nation.
“Observing the Storm” shows that behind the famous songs are human decisions, doubts, choices, friendships, and conflicts. It is a story of resilience and strength of spirit, reflecting the path of Ukraine itself.
The history of the band Okean Elzy — briefly
The band was founded on October 12, 1994, in Lviv.
Its leader Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a vocalist, composer, and public figure.
In the late 90s, the band released its first studio albums, which became the foundation of the Ukrainian rock scene.
In the 2000s, Okean Elzy became one of the most famous collectives in Eastern Europe, gathering stadiums.
Despite enormous popularity, the band has repeatedly experienced crises and lineup changes.
After 2014, the band’s music became an important cultural symbol of a country going through war and transformations.
This journey became the basis of the film.
Why the screening in Israel is important
- Firstly, the Ukrainian diaspora in Israel is one of the largest. For many viewers, this film will be an emotional return to the past and a reminder of their roots.
- Secondly, the music of Okean Elzy has long been heard in Israel — at festivals, charity, and cultural events. Therefore, the band’s story is close to many Israelis, even those who do not speak Ukrainian.
- Thirdly, the screening is accompanied by an online discussion, making the event a dialogue between countries and cultures. Viewers will be able to ask questions to the creators, learn details that did not make it into the edit, and hear personal stories from the participants in the process.
- Fourthly, in the context of the current war in Ukraine, supporting cultural initiatives abroad takes on special meaning. It is a way to show that Ukrainian culture lives, develops, and continues — despite everything.
What is important to know before watching
The film runs for about two hours.
Language — Ukrainian; English subtitles are provided.
The Q&A format will allow viewers to get exclusive comments from the creators.
The screening in Israel is organized by the Created in Ukraine team, which systematically promotes Ukrainian cinema and culture in different countries.
This is not just a film screening — it is a cultural meeting and a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of music that has become part of the DNA of modern Ukraine.
Created in Ukraine: who is behind Ukrainian cinema in Israel
The organizer of the screening of the film “Okean Elzy: Observing the Storm” in Israel is the initiative “Created in Ukraine” – https://createdinua.org/. The project was founded in 2022 as a cultural institution engaged in the distribution, promotion, and screening of modern Ukrainian films in Israel.
Over several years, the team has turned Ukrainian cinema into a noticeable cultural phenomenon: thanks to their efforts, residents of Israel have been able to see dozens of films that would otherwise not have reached local screens. The organization works in partnership with Ukrainian directors, producers, and studios, as well as with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel.
Under the brand Created in Ukraine, a whole series of Ukrainian projects have already been screened in Israel: from classics to new releases. Among them are “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors,” “Mur. Ty [romantyca] in Cinema,” “Doggies,” documentary and feature films of recent years. In total, the initiative has presented more than fifty films and covered more than fourteen cities, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Bat Yam, Netanya, and Ashdod.
In 2024, the team launched its own Ukrainian film festival “Ukraine Aviv 2024,” which became a new focal point for attracting attention to modern Ukrainian culture and created a dialogue between Ukrainian and Israeli audiences.
Today, “Created in Ukraine” is not just film screenings, but a full-fledged cultural infrastructure that systematically promotes Ukrainian cinema and helps it find a new audience. The premiere of the film “Okean Elzy: Observing the Storm” in Israel organically continues this mission: to show stories born in Ukraine and let them resonate far beyond its borders.
Conclusion from NANews
“Okean Elzy: Observing the Storm” is not just a documentary. It is a deep exploration of the phenomenon of a band that became the voice of an entire generation of Ukrainians. It is a story of courage, creativity, overcoming, and hope.
For the Israeli audience, it is an opportunity to see Ukraine through the prism of its music and the people who shaped its cultural image.
The screenings on December 2 in Tel Aviv and December 9 in Haifa will become significant cultural events capable of uniting people who live between two homes — Israel and Ukraine.
Where and when
December 2, 2025 — Tel Aviv
Location: Rav Hen Dizengoff, Ben Ami Street 16.
Doors open: 18:45.
Film start: 19:00.
Film duration — about 2 hours.
At 21:00 — online Q&A with the creators.
December 9, 2025 — Haifa
The screening will take place in a similar format. Ticket sales will open additionally.
Tickets available via the link.
or on the organizers’ page.
also a reminder …
concert –
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk in Israel February 15, 17, 2026: music that keeps Ukraine in the heart — Okean Elzy
