Don't Ask Me If I Killed
| Don't Ask Me If I Killed | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Ukrainian | Не питай мене, чи я вбивала |
| Directed by | Helena Maksyom |
| Screenplay by | Helena Maksyom |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Helena Maksyom |
| Edited by |
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| Distributed by | First Hand Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 104 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Ukrainian |
Don't Ask Me If I Killed (Ukrainian: Не питай мене, чи я вбивала) is a 2026 documentary film directed by Helena Maksyom, who handled the cinematography too. Filmed over more than a thousand days, it records her transition from civilian documentarian to reserve officer following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.[1][2][3]
An international co-production, the film premiered at DocuDays UA on 8 June 2026 in Docu/Ukraine, where it won the Main Prize of Docu/Ukraine Competition.[4][5]
It held its International Premiere at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival on 15 August 2026, screening in the Competition Programme – Documentary Film 2026, and competed for the Heart of Sarajevo award.[6]
Summary
The film through Helena Maksyom's perspective becomes a reflection on endurance and moral weight. It is her personal diary of the war in Ukraine, filmed over more than a thousand days. When the invasion started, she was just a filmmaker with no experience in fighting. She volunteered, learned how to help the injured, learned how to fight, and eventually became an officer guiding others through the same danger she once faced alone. She recorded whenever she can. Her camera became both protection and witness, through which she captured not dramatic battle scenes but the everyday reality of surviving: the faces around her, the tiredness, the rare jokes, and the quiet moments after someone was lost. The war kept repeating; new soldiers, new battlefields, new burials, and each time she returned. Her relationship with her mother, seen only during short visits home, became a fragile link to her old life.
Release
Don't Ask Me If I Killed premiered on 8 June 2026 as part of the DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Docu/ Ukraine section, and was also nominated for Main Prize Rights Now![7]
It had its International Premiere at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, where it competed for Heart of Sarajevo award in the Competition Programme – Documentary Film 2026 on 15 August 2026.[8][9]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival | 11 June 2026 | Main Prize of Docu/Ukraine Competition | Don't Ask Me If I Killed | Won | [4] |
| Viktor Onysko Memorial Award for Best Editing in a Ukrainian Documentary Film | Svitlana Zaloga and Helena Maksyom | Won | |||
| Main Prize Rights Now! | Don't Ask Me If I Killed | Nominated | [7] | ||
| Sarajevo Film Festival | 21 August 2026 | Heart of Sarajevo Award for Best Documentary Film | Nominated | [10] | |
| Special Award for Promoting Gender Equality | Special Mention | [11] |
References
- ↑ "Don't Ask Me If I Killed". Film-documentaire.fr. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "Don't Ask Me If I Killed". DocuDays UA. 8 June 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Maksyom, Helena (22 July 2026). "Don't Ask Me If I Killed". Cineuropa. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Congratulations to the Winners of Docudays UA 2026!". DocuDays UA. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Tymotsko, Roman (26 June 2026). "Human rights film festival Docudays UA highlights war, rights and resilience through documentary film". The Ukrainian Weekly. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (23 July 2026). "Sarajevo Film Festival Unveils Full Competition Lineup". Deadline. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- 1 2 "The Films Nominated for 'RIGHTS NOW!' Award-2026". DocuDays UA. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Ellie Calnan (23 July 2026). "Sarajevo Film Festival unveils competition programmes with five world premieres". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Stojiljković, Marko (23 July 2026). "51 films set to compete for the Heart of Sarajevo". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "32nd Sarajevo Film Festival: 51 films in competition for the Heart of Sarajevo awards". Sarajevo Film Festival. 23 July 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "Awards of the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival". Sarajevo Film Festival. 21 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.