Legendary comedian Stephen Fry made a film about Ukraine: the picture turned out to be funny and touching

Stephen Fry, a famous British actor, writer and comedian, presented the documentary Stephen Fry Into Ukraine about his visit to Ukraine, reports United24media.

The trip was dedicated to mental health. Fry arrived in Ukraine on September 4, where he was introduced to the reality of life in a country experiencing war.

Stephen was invited to Kyiv by First Lady Elena Zelenskaya to hold a conference on mental health during the war “Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.” The conference took place in the fall of 2023. During this trip, Fry visited a hospital and a stand-up club, met with Ukrainian soldiers, widows, families, artists and discussed with them what they were going through.

“He discussed the war with President Zelensky and told him jokes; met with fighters of the Azov brigade and artist Nikita Titov. The comedian survived an air raid for the first time, and doing stand-up comedy helped him realize how important humor had become to surviving the war. At the Holocaust memorial at Babi Yar, he reflected on the bloody history of Ukraine,” says the annotation to the film.

Horrors of war and humor

Fry was amazed at how, even in times of war, Ukrainians continued to preserve their traditions, culture and dignity. The comedian shared these impressions in his film.

“I mean, the country is at war, but everything seems to be working great, even better than the British railway. The railway is the only way to get to Kyiv now. And it doesn’t matter whether you are an ordinary citizen or US President Joe Biden, who was traveling on this train, as well as Boris Johnson. Now I have arrived on this train,” Fry noted.

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While in Kyiv, Fry met a surgeon from Lugansk. The woman lost her home twice, her mother was killed. He met soldier patients who had to have their limbs amputated.

At the end, he asks almost each of his interlocutors the same simple question: “Can you ever forgive the Russians?” And every time he receives the same confident answer: “No.”

In a conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Fry mentioned a joke he told at a stand-up in Kyiv: “If you throw Putin and Medvedev from the bell tower, who will reach the ground faster?” Zelensky, laughing, found it difficult to answer.

“Nobody cares!” – Fry finished the joke.

The British comedian spoke about his experience of being in a bomb shelter during another missile attack on Kyiv. This was his first experience of this kind, and it deeply affected him, making him even more sympathetic and supportive of the Ukrainians. Fry was surprised that there were even coffee machines in his hotel's bomb shelter.

The film, although filled with human pain and suffering, is intertwined with humor - a key way of coping with difficulties.

For example, when asked about the mental recovery of a soldier whose leg was amputated, he said: “I’m from Odessa, so I think of it this way: I didn’t lose my leg, but exchanged it for free parking benefits.”

Where to watch the film

Stephen Fry's Into Ukraine not only sheds light on the deep challenges Ukrainians face in their struggle with Russia, but also highlights the invincible spirit of its people.

The film perfectly combines empathy, humor and resilience of people. Fry's documentary captures the essence of how Ukrainians cope with the harsh reality of war.

The film can be viewed on Stephen Fry's YouTube channel.

a 45-minute tape posted on YouTube with fundraising links.

In the description under the video you can find the following sections in which Fry:

• meets with the President of Ukraine;
• communicates with Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs at the front;
• meets Ukrainian artist Nikita Titov;
• experiences an air raid alert for the first time;
• performs stand-up in front of Ukrainian spectators.