May 14, 2023

Imagine Dragons Shows Reality in Ukraine


Imagine Dragons Shows Reality in Ukraine
A Ukrainian fourteen-year-old stands in a room wrecked by explosions. ImagineDragons, Youtube.

The American pop-rock band Imagine Dragons filmed the video clip for their song "Crushed" in Ukraine to help fundraise for United24, the official fundraising platform for Ukraine founded by President Volodymyr Zelenzky. The film follows the true story of Sasha, a fourteen-year-old from Mykolayiv Oblast, whose village was occupied by the Russian army for five months and barely survived.

The short film (embedded below) tells us Sasha's survival story as he walks through the rubble of what was once his hometown. Over a period of five months, his town endured constant shelling by Russian forces. Sasha survived by hiding underground in a bunker, but all his neighbors died. His family lost everything. The firmest structures left on the ground are encrusted missiles.

According to Rolling Stone, the director of the video, Ty Arnold, was delivering medical aid to people in Ukraine when he met the teenager. After hearing his story, Arthur partnered with Imagine Dragons, an ambassador for United24 since July 2022, to shoot the music video. The band wanted to show the reality and trauma that everyday Ukrainians experience due to the war.

All funds from the video will be directed toward rebuilding Ukraine. On their Twitter blog, Imagine Dragons strongly encouraged donating to the following link

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