Soldiers of Song

Echoes rising from the ruins
A song echoes through a bomb shelter. A concert helps fund a drone unit. On the front line, musicians play for those fighting to defend their country. In Ukraine, music has taken on a whole new purpose.

Directed by Ryan Smith, Soldiers of Song follows Ukrainian musicians whose lives have been irrevocably changed by Russia's war of aggression. Slava Vakarchuk of Okean Elzy, one of Ukraine's biggest rock bands, performs for soldiers and civilians. Boombox frontman Andriy Khlyvnyuk commands a drone unit, while a wounded opera singer dreams of returning to the stage.

Amid ruined homes and the constant threat of death, music cannot stop missiles or bring back the dead. But it can bring people together, give them strength and keep a culture alive in the face of war. Much can be taken away, but your voice needn't be one of those things.