UK-based sales house Videoplugger together with Ukraine's 1+1 Media, are delighted to announce that Ukrainian documentary The Hardest Hour has been picked up in a deal with On Demand 365 for their free to air TV platform in the UK.

The Hardest Hour, directed by Alan Badoev in 2023, is a unique documentary drama created from 200 hours of videos recorded by Ukrainians themselves on their mobile phones from all the parts of Ukraine including occupied territories.

The film displays the events in Ukraine and how life and photo galleries on the phones of Ukrainians have changed since February 24, 2022, after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops.

These are first-hand stories, emotions, and feelings. Each story in this film is a movie our heroes shot on their gadgets. This project is not just another film about war. This is a film about people, their last actions, and their voices.

This documentary was written by the voices of Ukrainians. A unique testimony of the tragic events and crimes of Russia through the eyes of Ukrainians, which the whole world should see and feel. To ensure that no one can ever rewrite our history.

Director Alan Badoev commented: “If I and all the creators of the world didn't try to fill evil with sense and grace and identified it as dirt, blood, and a child's cry that can't be silenced, we would definitely save the mirrors of our souls to reflect the light of people's portrait's, children's smiles, moments of tenderness and happiness.”

Maksym Kryvytskyі, Head of Television Business at 1+1 Media said the following about the significance and main mission of the film The Hardest Hour: “The Hardest Hour is a significant and iconic project created by Alan Badoev in collaboration with the 1+1 Ukraine TV channel that everyone in Ukraine and abroad should see. The project is built upon personal videos of Ukrainians filmed on their gadgets - those who defended the country and sought refuge from the war in the early months of the full-scale invasion. Thanks to director Alan Badoev's unique perspective on this material, we have the opportunity to touch the souls of each of the film's heroes and feel everything our country has been enduring for more than 800 days. Our Hardest Hour continues, and we pay a high price for our freedom every day. Therefore, this film will become a document of our generation, and we are delighted to be a part of such a project.”

Ebba Eriksson, CD Videoplugger, added: “We are proud to support our Ukrainian partners 1+1 Media with their documentary The Hardest Hour. The broadcast on On Demand 365 means the voices of the Ukrainians will be heard by more people. This UGC based documentary from director Alan Badoev is an important report straight from a war that is still raging."

OD365 is an advertiser funded factual entertainment channel with content across multiple genres including culture, history, science, nature, travel and crime. The on-demand programming is free to watch and available across Freeview, YouView and Smart TV’s in the UK, including all leading smartphones and tablets using iOS and Android. OD365 has over 1200 hours of premium factual documentaries in high definition.