When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, he used the language of dehumanization to vilify the leaders of Ukraine, and now subsequently, the citizens who are fighting back. Dehumanization is a simple psychological process wherein a person views another person as less human. When a group is sufficiently stigmatized as intellectually and morally inferior, it becomes socially acceptable to persecute them, leading to a measurable increase in hatred, alienation, violence, and death. While the world watched in horror, the Ukrainian people promptly upended his expectation of easy victory. While many stayed to fight, millions of Ukrainians fled for safety, creating the largest and fastest flood of refugees into Western Europe since WWII, currently standing over three million since the beginning of the conflict.

As viewers, it is far too easy to see the victims as nameless and faceless, a mass casualty event removed from our everyday existence. Calamity and Mercy uses the extraordinary power of storytelling to slip away the mask of anonymity and document the historic event happening in real-time, preserving truth for now and future generations.

Additionally, although Calamity and Mercy details the Ukrainian refugees fleeing for their lives, the effects continue to ripple outward, threatening to engulf us all. The world is actively engaged in ending this crisis as the social and economic consequences grow ever more dire. Currently, we are entirely self-funded, relying on people like you to help us tell this story. Please consider donating (via Go Fund Me) to make sure the real truth is heard.