Director Nina I Roerig's 'I Want To See The Morning Star' transforms the devastation of the Russian-Ukrainian War into a poetic canvas, where pain and hope converge in a symphony of emotion.
Director Nina I Roerig's visionary approach in 'I Want To See The Morning Star' transforms the devastation of the Russian-Ukrainian War into a canvas of poetic expression, where pain and hope converge in a symphony of emotion.
Filmed over the past two years, in Bucha, Kyiv, and Kharkiv, the documentary challenges traditional narratives and offers a nuanced portrayal of the impact of conflict on men’s and women's lives and their communities, highlighting their courage and tenacity in the face of unimaginable adversity. Centered on human stories and the tragedy of the war in Ukraine, the documentary captures the surreal beauty of destruction and nature reclaiming its ground, both poetic and heartbreaking…
Featuring a multitude of testimonies from civilians—witnessing the unspeakable, shocked and knocked out by war, or resilient and fighting—the film paints a vivid picture of their enduring strength, hope, and dreams for a better future. Like the voices of Mikhail Makarenko, a 23-year-old Ukrainian soldier who lost both arms in a rocket attack, Nadja Volkova, who spent all her savings to feed animals in liberated areas, and journalist Maryna Palii, who gave birth in Berlin after fleeing Kiev; her child's father, a soldier on the front lines, has yet to meet the newborn.
The eerie echoes of the Second World War are impossible to ignore, and for Nina I Roerig, a modern German director, this documentary reflects on the resurgence of fascism disguised as realpolitik, greed, and the enforced power play of political bullies—acts of war despite reason, imperialism, and death, and perhaps most corrosive to democracy, lies and cynicism going unchecked. Ultimately, the film argues for our responsibility to Ukraine and the principles of democracy and freedom in Europe while also examining the paradox of war as a catalyst for hope and rebuilding the future.
When Russia started a full invasion of Ukraine two years ago - we really had no options. I am a German citizen, my grandfather was sent to the Dachau concentration camp, and that comes with the responsibilities to do whatever it takes and resist…
…For me, I had to capture the unspeakable and, strangely enough, the eerie beauty of nature regaining ground on destruction. I also needed to talk with the people on camera, documenting the war at our doorstep—war on Ukraine, which has also become a declaration of war against a democratic Europe. There are many reasons why we need to do this. The public needs to know, in detail, and compassion must endure long after the initial outrage. We need to document the execution of civilians, the destruction, and the tragedy. Reality is not as seductively simple as propaganda would have us believe. Populism and nationalism reduce compassion. But we must all keep practising tolerance, generosity, and empathy. In Ukraine, it is becoming obvious and undeniable what freedom really means. And that raises the question: when do we—each and every one of us—start to act?
Nina I. Roerig first created several dance theatre productions before becoming an award-winning film director (Planet TV / Berlinale Talent Campus 2003), earning praise from critics and audiences alike (for Bus to Russia and Patriotinnen). The Süddeutsche Zeitung called Patriotinnen "a great film," and the MAZ described it as "a completely wonderful documentary film." Born in Munich, a long stay in Ukraine had a decisive influence on her life. She now lives in Berlin with her two children. Nina grew up in a family of artists: her grandparents were opera singers (her grandfather survived the Dachau concentration camp), her mother was a painter, and her father worked in theatre. Based in Berlin, she founded the film production company DER BLAUE VOGEL BERLIN / BLUE BIRD BERLIN FILM.
2025: I Want to See the Morning Star / Die Morgendämmerung Will Ich Sehen, feature-length documentary, 97 minutes.
2013: Three Heroines in Search of Homeland (Patriots & Poets) / Drei Heldinnen auf der Suche nach Heimat (Patriotinnen) - Germany, 84 minutes. Written and directed by Nina I. Roerig, with the voice of Iris Berben as Marina Tsvetaeva. Süddeutsche Zeitung: "The first dog you pet... - A great film about Marina Tsvetaeva." Manfred Behrens, WDR: "I warmly congratulate this film—it shows that even in the midst of general madness, there can still be something eye- and ear-opening." Knut Elstermann, RBB: "Wonderful!"
2002/2003: Bus to Russia / Russenbus - Germany, 104 minutes. Written and directed by Nina I. Roerig. World premiere at Berlinale 2003, Talent Campus, House of World Cultures. Invited to the International Documentary Film Festival Munich 2003 and many other festivals.
2003: Zug um Zug - Budapest 1944, Jews for Sale - Budapest 1944, 90 minutes. Co-directed by Nina I. Roerig. Documentary film with contemporary witnesses (Israel) and actors from the Staatstheater Stuttgart.
2005: Hautkopf (Skinhead)
Dance opera, 95 minutes, Neuköllner Oper Berlin. Concept, choreography and direction by Nina I. Roerig. Text by Kristo Sagor, music by Winfried Radeke, stage and costume design by Frank Chamier. "What to do when the problem is not Islam but your own son?"
2001/2002: Stadt Graniza:
Dance theatre in two acts exploring the abyss between East and West. Libretto, direction, choreography, costume and stage design by Nina I. Roerig. Music by Frangis Ali-Sade. With Angela Reinhardt, Uwe Küßner, and others. Performed at Akademie der Künste Berlin / Kunsthaus Tacheles Berlin. Supported by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds.
1999: Der Blaue Vogel: Aus dem Paradies
Ballet in two acts. Libretto, choreography, direction, costume and set design: Nina I. Roerig.
1995/96: Der Blaue Vogel
Choreography and concept for actors, dancers, and hand puppets by Nina I. Roerig. Scenic production based on poems by Daniil Charms. Opening of the Green Salon, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz.
Der Blaue Vogel / Blue Bird Berlin Film Presents
I Want To See The Morning Star
Vera Yakovenko fled from Kiev to Germany to escape the bombings. Her grandmother was deported to Germany as a forced laborer during World War II. The traumatic experience is repeated, but this time the perpetrators come from the other side. In the film, she reads from her grandmother's diary. Will it ever be possible to overcome oppression and lack of freedom?
Iryna Honcharuk miraculously escaped from besieged Mariupol after 21 days of hell. Her hometown is under Russian occupation and a return is no longer conceivable, so she lives in Berlin. Iryna is a singer and linguist. In the film, she sings a famous Ukrainian folk song that became known through the Ukrainian cult film "Wild Horses of Fire".
Natalya Levchenko lived in the village of Kamenka in the Zaporizhia region and worked with autistic children. Since March 3, 2022, her village has been in the "gray zone" between the Ukrainian lines and the Russian besiegement. Many of her friends and former neighbors were killed. Natalya fled to Germany and now lives in Brandenburg.
Rada Makeienkova is an award-winning Ukrainian screenwriter, author and actress. At the beginning of the war, she cooked for the ‘Dobrobat’, a volunteer battalion in Kyiv. She lives in Ukraine and continues to work in her profession now. In the film, she documents the atmosphere in Kyiv under rocket fire and during the blackout.
Evgen Andrieiev tries to instill courage in his countrymen as a singer and teacher of the music academy in Kharkiv. He talks about his dream of Europe. The song "Bilya Topoly", that he is interpreting, has become one of the liberation anthems in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Demchenko is soldier at the front lines. In his life before the Russian invasion he was a professional sound engineer: “When the war is over, I want to be part of some musical miracle that takes place on stage again.” After giving the interview for our film, Volodymyr was injured in autumn 2024 during fighting in the frontline area.
Nadia Volkova spent all her savings to help people and animals left behind after the liberation of Bucha and Irpin. Originally a photographer, she has trained as a psychotherapist due to the increased need for psychological support since the Russian attack. She lives in a small town near Kyiv, not far from Bucha.
Journalist Maryna Palii gave birth to her child in Berlin after fleeing Kyiv with two children and heavily pregnant. The child's father, Maryna's husband, is a soldier at the front. In Berlin, she remembers an old Ukrainian tradition: the ‘Motanka’, a magical doll.
Nadiia Biliaieva was a teacher at the music academy in Kharkiv when she watched the start of the Russian attack from her window. After fleeing to Germany, she spontaneously put together a choir of refugees. The song ‘Obimi’, which she rehearses in a small church in Brandenburg, became an important anti-war song in Ukraine.
Mikhail Makarenko is a young Ukrainian soldier. He lost both arms in a rocket attack in Donbass. After hospital stays in Dnipropetrovsk, he came to Neuruppin in Germany. Here he is waiting for his arm prostheses.
Ruslan Zinych was working as a cook in Poland at the time of the full-scale attack. He spontaneously returned to Ukraine and joined the "Dobrobat",a volunteer battalion. Since autumn 2022 he has been in the front line as a medic, providing first aid to the wounded. Ruslan had been missing for some time. In autumn 2024 we finally received news of him: he was exhausted, but fortunately unharmed. After a short break he had to return to the front.
Boris Tkachenko is a bartender in Bucha. After the Russian troops entered Bucha, he and his family left the city at the last minute. He returned home after the liberation and, by reopening his cafe, helped Bucha slowly return to normality after the massacres by Russian soldiers.
Michael S. Cullen is American historian, journalist and publicist. Initiator of the art project „Wrapped Reichstag” in Berlin by Christo & Jean Claude. Michael S. Cullen, whose family emigrated to the United States a long time ago, explains how Jewish life used to shape cultural life in Ukraine.
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