After the war in Ukraine derailed their lives, a young married couple, a former environmental officer and a displaced family join others on a new path to become professional deminers. Experience their gripping two-year journey as they undergo intense training amidst the uncertainty of the Russian invasion. Follow their ups and downs as they adapt to their new reality and witness their resilience in the face of adversity. An inspiring documentary that celebrates the grit of the human spirit to overcome even the toughest challenges.
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FULL INTERVIEW:

Filmmaker: Quentin Curzon

Short Bio:
Quentin Curzon is a Western Australian filmmaker and director known for socially driven documentaries that blend cinematic storytelling with humanitarian purpose. A graduate of Edith Cowan University’s WA Screen Academy (2017) he graduated winning Best Director and his graduating film ‘Rift’ was nominated for Best Direction of a Student Film at the Australian Directors’ Guild Awards. Following that he received Screenwest “Generate” funding to direct short film Little Man and worked on SBS and Discovery Channel series including Secrets of Our Cities and Is Australia Sexist? Before returning to WA, Quentin founded Make Waves Films in Geneva, producing international documentary content for UNICEF, Gavi and Foundation Suisse de deminage (Swiss Foundation for Demining) etc. His recent project, Step by Step, filmed over two years in war-torn Ukraine, has been shown at international human rights film festivals.

How and why did you become a documentary maker?
I am a Swiss-born Australian humanitarian filmmaker. My work has taken me from Geneva to filming on a refugee rescue boat in the Mediterranean Sea, ex-rebels in the Central African Republic, and now with Step by Step, to deminers in war-torn Ukraine.

It all began 12 years ago, when I naturally gravitated to film as the strongest medium for capturing complex stories. When I was 19, I was traveling through Dharamsala in Northern India, where I met a refugee named Lagpha. I was deeply moved by the story he told me of attempting self-immolation to protest the Chinese government in Tibet. What struck me wasn’t just the act itself, but the way he recounted it, with laughter – joking about how he had struggled to keep the flame alight while running towards the embassy.

I was shocked by the contrast between the dark gravity of his story and his humorous tone, and I realised then that I couldn’t capture the complexity of his character through a photograph alone. Even now, as I write this response, I’m struggling to find the right words to convey that experience – so I decided to film him instead. I’ve been captivated by the medium ever since.

What makes a good documentary?
I view filmmaking through a humanitarian lens – as a powerful catalyst for change. For me, a good documentary makes you think, a great one makes you feel, and an outstanding one moves you to act.

Why did you make Step by Step: Becoming Deminers and what were the key challenges you faced?
When Foundation Suisse de Deminage (FSD) began training new teams in Ukraine, it felt like the right moment to explore both the resilience of Ukrainians and the crucial role of deminers. I had previously worked with FSD and deeply admired the deminers and their work, but what really drove this film was a question: how do ordinary people become comfortable demining every day?

I followed a new team over two years, traveling back and forth to document their journey. Filming so soon after the invasion was challenging – simply entering the country was complicated, and navigating a shoot where air raid sirens and seeking shelter were part of the daily schedule was confronting – but you quickly realise it is the everyday reality for the people living there.

Safety was another major challenge. For example you can’t use lav mics or mount cameras on deminers because if anything falls, it can deadly. Balancing the uncertainty of a war zone with strict explosives-handling protocols meant working within a lot of non-negotiable limitations. But creativity thrives in these kinds of restricted environments, right?

The language barrier added another layer. I don’t speak Ukrainian or Russian, so I often filmed on instinct, only discovering the meaning of conversations later with a translator in the edit. More than once I thought I’d captured a heated discussion about the war, only to learn it was about football. Filming everything can also feel intimidating for your subjects, so you have to be really switched on to people’s body language.

What’s next for you? What projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a new feature documentary in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. It follows Raelene Cooper, a First Nation Mardathoonera woman who is risking everything to protect her people’s 50,000-year-old sacred rock art from some of Australia’s most powerful mining interests. Raelene is an extraordinary and inspiring person, and it’s a privilege to document her fight to preserve culture, Country and history.