A project about Gen Z youth in Ukraine

Text and photos by Anastasiia Pischanska

“My recent work has focused on the digital traces of a generation affected by war and migration. In 2024, I launched a research project on Ukraine’s Generation Z in the digital age, collecting more than 200 testimonies through an open call. This investigation is now integrated into my first feature-length documentary, where have you been all these yearsAn attempt to capture the ever-changing collective subconscious of a generation – physically, digitally and emotionally. The “Where have you been all these years” question and the “Z” symbol play a crucial role in the film, acting as propaganda indicators for the digital age. The issue, spread by Russian online media, has caused confusion among Ukrainians, while the colonial “Z” symbol marks occupied territory. The film explores metaphysical issues such as the evil deeds of a generation, the nature of evil, and finding God in His absence. It explores how our generation deals with memory in a context where memory has been profoundly shaped by war. I focus on young queer people, artists, soldiers, and kids. “