New York City's beloved Ukrainian restaurant Veselka is best known for its borscht and varenyky, but it has become a beacon of hope for Ukraine. As the second-generation owner Tom Birchard reluctantly retires after 54 years, his son Jason faces the pressures of stepping into his father’s shoes as the war in Ukraine impacts his family and staff.
Direction
Fiore weaves 70 years of history without losing the diner's greasy-spoon intimacy.
Production
War footage colliding with fluorescent-lit booths hits like a gut punch.
Director
Michael Fiore
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Veselka became a de facto crisis center in 2022, with customers leaving thousands in tips earmarked for relief efforts. The film captures this organic activism as it happened.
The 'Rainbow' in the title refers to both the restaurant's neon sign and the 1960s counterculture that embraced this East Village institution when it opened 24 hours during the Vietnam era.
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