HiddenLight Productions, co-founded by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sam Branson and Chelsea Clinton, announces its latest film production, The Swallows Will Return, which documents the investigative work of Anya Neistat, a preeminent war crimes investigator of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, and her team as they expose the human rights violations of Russian forces and work to bring the perpetrators to justice in courts around the world. The Clooney Foundation for Justice has granted HiddenLight access to the high-risk work of Neistat, its lead investigator, and her team of researchers as they collect evidence on the ground in Ukraine.

The Swallows Will Return is directed by Laura Warner and produced by Evan Williams. The film is executive produced by HiddenLight’s Co-Creative Directors Siobhan Sinnerton and Amy Flanagan and Evan Williams, together with Liev Schreiber.

The Swallows Will Return is commissioned by U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 in association with Minderoo Pictures, the social impact filmmaking entity from Minderoo Foundation. The film is currently in production with delivery expected in 2024. World sales are handled through Abacus Media Rights.

The Swallows Will Return is the heart-pounding story of a mission to stop Putin’s war machine in its tracks. In this real time crime thriller set in a warzone, director Laura Warner embeds with Clooney Foundation for Justice investigator Anya Neistat and her team as they track down a group of survivors bold enough to take a stand against those who committed the most heinous crimes of rape, torture and murder against them and their families.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, co-founder of HiddenLight Productions, says, “Nothing can erase the tragic events in Ukraine or bring loved ones back, but we hope that by showing the world the hard work of Anya and her team and the evidence they uncover, this film can help advance peace, and accountability for the devastating conflict that continues to unfold there.”

Director Laura Warner says, “I don’t think of The Swallows Will Return as a war film, it’s really a true crime thriller set in the middle of a colossal military conflict. Anya’s relentless drive to see Russia’s war criminals held to account has been awe-inspiring to witness in the field and I feel privileged to work with her, HiddenLight and the Clooney Foundation for Justice to bring this story to the world.”

HiddenLight’s Co-Creative Director Siobhan Sinnerton states, “There is much to despair of in the current situation in Ukraine but the bravery and determination of both Anya and the survivors in this film are cause for hope. With focus on the work of Amal Clooney, Anya Neistat and her team of Ukrainian women, plus the perspective of a female director, the film is a view of the frontline seen through a very different lens.”