On 7 June, the first closed screening of the Ukrainian film ‘The First Code’ took place in Warsaw.

About 300 representatives of the IT industry and Polish journalists watched the film. “The First Code” is a Hollywood-style, high-budget, feature-length documentary about the rise and development of the Ukrainian IT industry. However, the film begins with the war that is taking place in Ukraine. For more than a year now, this topic has not been out of the media headlines around the world. The film ‘The First Code’ shows how important a battlefield the world of new technologies is. The war in Ukraine is the first ever cyber war and, importantly, the Ukrainian side has a decisive advantage.  The cyber war involves not only hundreds of IT volunteers hacking important Russian facilities, but also ordinary citizens who, with the help of a smartphone, can help the Ukrainian army find the enemy.

What delighted the audience at the screening in Warsaw was the artistic quality of the film made. The locations of the film sets, the soundtrack composed by the Tvorchi team, the work of the cinematographers and scriptwriters, the acting and the unprecedented manner of narration all made a great impression. The First Code is an excellent offering that should be a great success worldwide. It will certainly appear on streaming platforms soon. The 1.5-hour screening passed unnoticed, and the intriguing ending makes you think of a potential sequel.

Many Polish IT viewers identified with the film’s protagonists, seeing images from the 1980s-90s, when computers were just emerging and very expensive. There was hardly any software or games back then. You had to create them yourself. On top of that, there was no literature at that time, no internet network, no search engines.

Vlad Savchenko – the film’s main producer – and his deputy – Marina Romanenko – also did not leave the audience indifferent, telling how the film was made under conditions of power cuts and anti-aircraft alarms. They talked about how much it cost them to find the necessary information, the right people and equipment. The film makes it clear that Ukraine will soon be known around the world for its IT specialists.

When the Russian invasion began on 24 February 2022, the Poles showed that they were true friends of Ukraine. More than a year later, Ukraine and its people are still in the hearts of ordinary Poles, who help in every possible way by sharing the same emotions and feelings with Ukrainians.  

After the screening, the audience gave the film a ten-minute ovation. There were shouts of “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!”. When called on stage, Vlad Savchenko expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to present the film in Poland and for the unflagging public interest in what is happening in Ukraine today.