This Friday marks the start of the 49th Elche International Independent Film Festival. It is one of the oldest film events in Europe, and it is here that Kars Tuinder will present the world premiere of his documentary ANYTHING FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
A co-production between Nepal, Thailand and the Netherlands.
Since its inception in 1978, it has aimed to serve as a meeting point between filmmakers and the public. Its main objective is to promote new talent and foster film culture.
Open to the public, the festival is based at the Hort del Xocolater, a site of unique cultural and natural value situated in the heart of the Palmeral de Elche, a World Heritage Site. At the same time, the short films in the official selection are screened on Arenales del Sol beach.
It is currently a partner festival of the Spanish Film Academy and acts as a shortlisting for the Goya Awards in the categories of Fiction, Documentary and Animation.
A 19-year-old foreign student earns a scholarship to attend a university in Russia. Within months, he’s pulled into the Ukrainian war, filming his surreal journey as a foreign soldier for the Russian military, capturing a story of lost innocence, identity, and the fight for survival.
When I first got connected with this young Nepali guy, I could’ve never imagined how things would unfold.
He was just a teenager, hopeful and excited about his scholarship to study in Russia.
Like many others, he came chasing the dream of a better future. None of us could have predicted that, just months later, he’d be on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, fighting in a Russian uniform.
What makes this story so unique is that he filmed it all himself on the iPhone he’d always dreamed of owning.
Through his lens, we see everything up close: army life, frontline fear, friendships, confusion, and quiet moments of reflection.
It’s an incredibly raw and human look at war from a perspective we rarely see inside the Russian military, but through the eyes of a foreigner.
This documentary isn’t about politics; it’s about survival, identity, and the strange paths life can take.
His footage and his story show us what war looks like when you strip away the headlines and see it through one young man’s eyes.
And I hope it reminds us how many people around the world get caught in situations they never asked for, just trying to find a way forward.
I hope this documentary makes people think about the cost of conflict, not just in numbers, but in individual lives.
Stay tuned, because in a few days’ time we’ll be announcing further successes for our films.
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