Presentation of the film "Remember Blue & Yellow" took place in the premises of the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Chicago.

The creators of the film are American journalists from ESPN Russell DiNallo and Wright Thompson. The film is 60 minutes long and shows the life of Ukraine's national football team during the war. Documentarians conducted filming during the preparatory camp of the team in Slovenia this spring, matches of the World Cup-2022 playoffs in Scotland and Wales, as well as games of the UEFA Nations League in Armenia and Poland.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

The filming team worked inside the Ukrainian national team, communicated with the head coach and players, and managed to truthfully show the emotions and experiences felt by the boys as they prepared for matches during a turbulent wartime year. The filmmakers also conducted filming in Kyiv.

The film turned out to be deep, dynamic, and emotional, showing viewers the atmosphere and character of the team that is preparing for matches while constantly thinking about loved ones and all Ukrainians who face death every day from attacks by inhumane aggressors from Russia.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

At the premiere were present executives from ESPN, authoritative sports journalists from the US and a consolidated Ukrainian community in Chicago that numbers about 400 thousand people today (before the start of full-scale invasion - 250 thousand).

The special guest at the premiere was head coach of the national team Oleksandr Petrakov, who is the main hero of the film. The documentary short will air on ESPN TV channel December 11th and afterwards can be viewed via subscription to OTT platform Disney+.

At the premiere, the filmmakers gladly responded to a proposal by UAF President Andriy Pavelka, which was conveyed by press attaché of the national team Oleksandr Hlyvinskyi, to organize a film premiere in Ukraine. If everything goes well, it may be possible to do this in the second half of January.

Photo by the press service of the UAF

"I am glad to be here and want to thank ESPN company. When I was coming here, President of the UAF Andriy Pavelko called me as well and asked me to convey his thanks. It was his idea, and today he should have been with us.

At first, I approached this idea somewhat skeptically. You know, there are such superstitions in football that maybe some bad luck. But when I met the authors of the film and saw how they work and treat us, I understood that they feel for Ukraine with their heart. 

Now I understand that this film is needed and it had to come out. Now we recall the emotions of the boys, the emotions of fans… The hardest thing was when we did not qualify for the World Cup. For many of my players, this was a dream. Many finish their careers in the national team because there comes a certain age.

When I came here, I could not imagine that so many Ukrainians live in Chicago. They showed me a museum, history… I see how representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora communicate with each other and this is impressive," — Oleksandr Petrakov shared during the film presentation.