Last Ride Home explores the profound human cost of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film sheds light on the soldier experience, volunteers delivering critical medical aid on the frontlines, and the families left waiting in uncertainty. It follows the stories of families bidding farewells to husbands and fathers, fathers who often rely on the life-saving interventions to make it back home. Through these deeply personal narratives, the film captures the struggles of separation, sacrifice, and resilience in the face of war.
Directed by Joshua Saunders
Director bio:
Joshua Saunders is a Canadian Cinematographer and Documentary Filmmaker based in Mi'kma'ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia). Under their banner, Venturesome Films, he and his team make character-driven documentaries. These films are built on long embeds, earned trust, and a commitment to the dignity and consent of the people on screen.
His feature documentary Last Ride Home follows volunteer medics, frontline soldiers, and their families in Ukraine. Self-funded and shot over three trips across two years, the film earned Saunders a Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) nomination for its cinematography.
Often serving as both Director and Cinematographer he has shot across Canada, Ukraine, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Italy.
