Ukrainian-Calgarian filmmaker draws from experiencing energy crises to latest documentary about energy poverty story

After fleeing war-torn Ukraine for Calgary, an emerging filmmaker is using his perspective to speak about poverty in Peru—specifically energy poverty.

After fleeing war-torn Ukraine for Calgary, an emerging filmmaker is using his perspective to share about energy poverty in Peru in the documentary Help is on the Way.

Energy poverty describes communities without access to an electricity grid -- where people live without light, heat, power and the internet.

Cameras rolled as remote villages in the Andes Mountains became connected to power -- for the first time -- with the help of a Calgary-based charity Light up the World (LUTW).

Help is on the Way co-director Mykola Pelikhov has firsthand experience of actual power struggles.

“When the war started, I saw bad things in my life,” Pelikhov said.

He said Russia constantly manipulated the power and energy supplied to Ukraine, causing blackouts and devastation.

“People in Peru, they don’t have opportunities (for) their whole life. My life, before (the war).

“I know how good life can look like,” he said. “They don’t know.”

He fled with his family to Calgary, and months later travelled to Peru for the film.

Pelikhov says energy for electricity needs be more widely available.

“We need to give equal opportunities with energy in the whole world,” he said.

“Not only in Canada,” he added, “(but in all) rich countries, people take energy for granted.”

Focus on Peru

LUTW was founded in Calgary in 1994, initially bringing power supply to Nepal.

The charity, now focused on Peru, uses sustainable technology as much as possible, included solar panels, backup batteries, LED lighting and sustainable internet connections.

“What do you do without electricity? What is there to do without electricity? If you don’t have electricity, you don’t have communications, you don’t have light, it just limits you in so many different ways,” said LUTW executive director Aaron Cohen from Lima, Peru.

Matt Embry -- the founder of Muster Point Productions who also directed the film -- says the project is about more than the documentary itself.

“Energy poverty is a huge issue for billions of people around the world, and it’s a crisis. But we also wanted to offer hope,” Embry said.

“So, our goal in making the film was to shine a light on the issue, but also (to) try to provide some solutions,” he added.

He also hopes more Canadian energy leaders consider ways to share the country’s abundant energy in regions where electricity is scarce, in Canada and elsewhere in the world.

The production company has also set up a GoFundMe for LUTW.

The film is available now for free online.