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Dried Joy: A Taste of Resilience, a moving documentary produced by Senior Fellow Alexandra Kutas, won Best International Short Documentary at the KAAFFILM International Short Film Festival.
The short film follows Sergiy, who after losing both arms in combat while helping liberate Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, faces a future most would find unimaginable.
But instead of retreating into loss, he began building something radically hopeful: Dried Joy, a dried meat business rooted in a childhood dream, now reimagined with renewed purpose. What began as a spark of determination has grown into a small ecosystem involving fellow veterans and the families of others who served – a community where no words are needed to be understood.
After the Italian Film Festival, the story continues to travel the world. “It is inspiring to see how it resonates with so many people,” Alexandra shared.
