A Mother’s War: An unexpected documentary on the ‘extraordinary’ women of Ukraine

Molly Hunter never set out to make a documentary about the women of Ukraine. But as she traversed the war-torn country, she repeatedly encountered strong Ukrainian women caring for their families, mourning loved ones, and even heading to the front lines. Hunter says that after Russian troops have occupied their town or village, “it is so often the women who are still there, the women who survived, the women who will come out speak with us.” She adds that the five women she highlights in her documentary “are extraordinary,” but “their stories are not.” Instead, “they are normal stories of civilians under fire.” The first part of Hunter’s documentary, “A Mother’s War,” airs on NBC News Now.