Ukraine War Doc ‘A Simple Soldier’ Getting U.S. & International Release Via Jolt & Propagate

EXCLUSIVE: Jolt is partnering with Propagate Content to support the North America, UK, Australia, Latin America, and Asia release of Ukraine war documentary A Simple Soldier.

The partnership will include Academy-qualifying theatrical screenings, an impact campaign, a Jolt.film TVOD window, and digital aggregation.

The film follows Ukrainian filmmaker and cinematographer Artem Ryzhykov “as he trades life behind the camera for life on the frontlines after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Filmed over three and a half years, the documentary offers a deeply personal, ground-level view of war, duty, love, loss and the moral complexities of documenting conflict from within.”

Directed by Ryzhykov and Juan Camilo Cruz, the film is produced by Ryzhykov and Cruz as well as Propagate’s Howard T. Owens and Ben Silverman.

The documentary is executive-produced by James Packer, John Battsek, Marcel Mettelsiefen, Andrew D. Corkin, Catalina Ramirez, and Jonathan Schaerf.

The film’s North American release is due to include community screenings led by Ukrainian-American diaspora organizations.

“An extraordinary and deeply personal documentary, A Simple Soldier brings an entirely different perspective to the experience of war,” said Howard T. Owens, co-founder and co-CEO of Propagate Content.

“A Simple Soldier is exactly the kind of urgent, human and artistically powerful documentary that deserves a thoughtful path to audiences,” added Tara Hein-Phillips, CEO and Co-founder of Jolt, which specialises in data and audience demand-led releases. “This is a film that asks viewers to look closely at the human cost of war, but also at the courage, responsibility and resilience of those living through it. We are proud to partner with Propagate on a release strategy that brings together theatrical, impact and digital in one data-driven campaign.”