'It was a calling': Two Springfield firefighters filmed a documentary in war-torn Ukraine

Jeffrey Weeks and Eli Davidson have long accepted the inherent risk that comes with being a Springfield firefighter, and so have their families.

Their pregnant wives weren't quite as understanding when the two men initially pitched the idea of entering war-torn Ukraine in the pursuit of a hobby.

Bonded by hoses and public service, Weeks and Davidson also share a passion for filmmaking. When presented the opportunity to be embedded with a Ukrainian man amid the country's invasion by Russian forces, it was an opportunity they couldn't refuse.

They proceeded to raise thousands of dollars, took time off of work, and worked out the planes, trains and automobiles logistics of entering an area of the world mired by conflict for more than two years.

The most arduous part of their recent journey? Saying goodbye, if only for couple of weeks.

"I remember dropping my daughter off for school before we left, and I got teared up," said Weeks, a 35-year-old Rogersville resident, about departing from Springfield for Europe last year. "I wasn't 100% sure I'd see her again."

He and Davidson, 26, returned to the Ozarks with hours of footage that would be cut down into a 30-minute production “Blue Skies Over Donetsk” that has been selected for several film festivals, including the Cleveland International Film Festival.

In the documentary, Weeks and Davidson follow the life of a 43-year-old Ukrainian man, Andriy Kolbovsky, who delivers stoves to families on the frontlines without power while also trying to cultivate a relatively safe and normal environment for his children near a war zone.

The two men have since returned to Ukraine for a second documentary and to follow-up with Kolbovsky, who Weeks said still faces the prospect of being drafted into Ukraine's army. Men as old as 60 are being called to join Ukraine's military amid its conflict, which has reportedly resulted in hundreds of thousands of total casualties.

"It (the documentary) was a calling," said Weeks, who served in the U.S. Marines before his firefighter career.

More: A Springfield man died fighting in Ukraine. His family is still fighting to bring him home

Davidson, who lives in Republic, has adopted siblings from Ukraine and had previously visited the country.

After 18 hours of flying and landing in neighboring Poland, the men took a train into Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv before being transported into the more dangerous parts of the country in the Donetsk region, on the eastern border with Russia.

In the Kyiv area, things were mostly pleasant, Weeks said, offering a major contrast to far-off rural areas that had been bombarded by Russian shelling.

"Imagine if Springfield was business as usual, but Nixa was under siege," Weeks said. "I'd look around and think 'You guys do know there's a war going on, right?'" Weeks said. "I think when we expected to get there, we thought we'd see World War II-like rubble and people scrounging, but it was the opposite."

Outside of the city limits were constant military checkpoints, Weeks said, and near the frontlines where gunfire could be heard.

It didn't take long for the two Americans to figure out their kind and relatable interpreter, Kolbovsky, would be the focus of their documentary.

“Blue Skies Over Donetsk” gives a fly-on-the-wall perspective of Kolbovsky's life, void of filmmaker narrative and commentary. The short film starts with the father at his daughter's soccer practice in a city area before traveling to the embattled east region to deliver supplies. Townspeople near the frontlines are also interviewed giving their perspective on what they have witnessed.

"It will be dangerous to drive with your lights on," Kolbovsky tells Weeks and Davidson in the film with sounds of artillery in the background. "You can be a target."

Weeks said he hopes Kolbovsky and his family can remain safe and believes it's important to tell his story.

"The story is not over, the conflict is not over," Weeks said. "Keeping it relevant is a worthy purpose."

Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Two Springfield firefighters film documentary in war-torn Ukraine.