Preview: New Ukraine documentary, Hell Jumper

Hell Jumper premieres on BBC Two and iPlayer at 9pm on Wednesday 24 July.

Hell Jumper offers an unprecedented view of the war in Ukraine, seen through the eyes—and the footage—of volunteers risking their lives to save strangers in one of the world’s most dangerous places. This film delves into youth, drive, and the relentless search for meaning amidst chaos.

At the heart of the story is 28-year-old Chris Parry from Cornwall. Without informing his family, Chris jumped into a white van and headed to Ukraine. There, he joined a rag-tag group of civilian ‘evacuators’ from around the globe—known as “Hell Jumpers”—who crowdfunded vehicles and equipment to help people escape their burning homes.

Chris and his friends were as engaged with TikTok and Instagram as they were with frontline rescues. They uploaded footage of their daring missions and near misses to social media, allowing friends, family, and a growing audience to witness their experiences firsthand.

As their missions grew riskier, Chris was drawn deeper into danger, ultimately falling into the deadly hands of the Wagner Group. He was shot dead while trying to save an elderly woman trapped in her home.

Chris’ extraordinary story will be told for the first time, alongside the past and present stories of his fellow evacuators and friends on the frontline. Using an extensive archive of self-shot material, social media, and video diaries, Hell Jumper provides a uniquely first-person, modern perspective on war. The film explores the contrasting realities of the hyper-real conflict coexisting with the mundane aspects of everyday life, and the enduring legacy of Chris.

Speaking to the BBC at the premiere, Director Paddy Wivell said he developed a huge respect for Mr Parry.

He said: “It was in those pieces that I felt extraordinary admiration for him and thinking I could not do that, I am not brave in that way.

“I came to understand that he would not stop until he found the people he was going to evacuate.

“So, I really wanted to honour that process in the film and keep that section of the film quite long so the audience felt they were truly immersed in his experience, and in the danger that he was confronting.”

One of Chris Parry’s closest friends, Freya Osborne, was among those in the audience at the premiere screening and appears in the film.

She said: “In a really bizarre way, it was actually really lovely.

“I think a little boy from Truro, saving all those lives and putting himself in danger – it’s incredible that there’s such light in such horribleness.”