Film About the Ukrainian Danube Delta Wins at International Film Festival

The documentary “The Danube Delta and the Healing Power of Nature” has won the Environment category at the international Love Peace and Freedom film festival. The film explores the restoration of natural ecosystems in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta and shows how nature can contribute to people’s psychological and emotional recovery.

The award was announced by the conservation organization Rewilding Ukraine.

The documentary highlights the restoration of wetlands, natural habitats, and wildlife populations in the Danube Delta. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the natural environment and the local communities living alongside it.

An important storyline focuses on the participation of Ukrainian veterans and their family members in nature-based programs. In the film, the Danube Delta is presented not only as a unique ecosystem of European importance but also as a space where people can rebuild their emotional connection with nature.

The film is the sixth installment in the Wilder Europe documentary series.

Filming in Ukraine lasted ten days. In May 2025, the international production team worked on Ermakiv Island, in the Danube Biosphere Reserve, and in the Tarutino Steppe.

The film was directed by French photographer and documentary filmmaker Emmanuel Rondeau, who specializes in wildlife and nature conservation. He is the founder of White Fox Pictures and collaborates with international environmental organizations.

Oleh Diakov, Team Leader of Rewilding Ukraine, said that the idea of involving Ukrainian veterans and their families in rewilding areas emerged almost two years ago.

According to him, encounters with water buffalo and Konik horses in the delta make a particularly strong impression on participants. Spending time in a natural environment allows people, at least temporarily, to distance themselves from everyday problems and return home with a sense of calm and hope.

Comment from the Institute of Danube Research

The Institute of Danube Research considers the international recognition of the film important not only for Ukraine’s environmental sector, but also for promoting the Ukrainian Danube region internationally.

“The Ukrainian Danube Delta is a unique natural complex of pan-European importance. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly clear that its value is not limited to biodiversity protection or wetland conservation. It is a space where ecology, local community development, tourism, scientific research and new social practices intersect, including rehabilitation and recovery of veterans through contact with nature,” the Institute noted.

According to the Institute’s experts, the documentary’s success at an international festival once again demonstrates the considerable potential of the Ukrainian Danube region for developing a modern European model of nature-based development.

This approach allows the protection and restoration of ecosystems to simultaneously generate new opportunities for territorial communities, eco-tourism, international cooperation, education and social programs.

“For Ukraine, it is particularly important that the Danube Delta should be perceived in Europe not only through the prism of war or the transport and logistical importance of the Danube. It is one of the continent’s most valuable natural regions and has the potential to become an international platform for environmental, scientific and humanitarian projects. Stories like this help shape a new perception of the Ukrainian Danube region and strengthen its presence in the European information space,” the Institute emphasized.

The Institute also points out that experience in restoring natural areas in the Danube Delta is important in the context of Ukraine’s future post-war recovery. Nature-based solutions can become one of the instruments for combining environmental policy, climate adaptation, community development and rehabilitation programs.

In this context, the international recognition of “The Danube Delta and the Healing Power of Nature” is not only an achievement for its creators, but also an additional opportunity to draw global attention to the unique Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta and to the need for its conservation and sustainable development.