Ukraine Update

Chad Gracia in near his offices in Kyiv, where he ran both his finance and documentary filmmaking businesses until the Russian invasion.

Why I Left Kyiv When Russia Invaded Ukraine

In addition to finance work, I also make documentary films about Russia, Ukraine and the Soviet Union; thus I was based in Kyiv since 2013, when my first film won the Sundance Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary.

Over the last decade, I built a Ukrainian team to help with my brokerage and placement work as well as my filmmaking endeavors. They managed everything from pre-IPO research and data management to the editing my films (the most recent of which is led by Oscar-award winning producer Geralyn Dreyfous (Icarus, etc.)).

After the Russian invasion I relocated to Lisbon in order to be able to provide 24/7 service to my clients. However, many of my key employees stayed in Kyiv, some working from bomb shelters; others joined the Territorial Defense Legions or the Ukrainian Army.

Our brokerage & filmmaking work proceeds apace, as it must, and we all hope to return to a free Ukraine as soon as possible. If you’d like more information on my efforts to help Ukraine survive this invasion and how you can make a positive contribution, send me an email at: chad@graciafilms.com.

Thank you,
Chad