Camp Courage is a 34-minute Netflix documentary short directed by Max Lowe (Torn, Adventure Not War) and produced by Marilyn Ness and Katy Chevigny of Big Mouth Productions. The film follows a young Ukrainian girl named Milana and her grandmother Olga – refugees of the Russia-Ukraine War – as they attend a week-long summer camp for war-affected families in the Austrian Alps. It premiered at the Camden International Film Festival before streaming globally on Netflix on October 15, 2023.
Quick Facts
| Director | Max Lowe |
| Producers | Marilyn Ness & Katy Chevigny (Big Mouth Productions) |
| Editor | Andrey Alistratov |
| Composers | Nathan Halpern & Chris Ruggiero |
| Genre | Documentary Short |
| Runtime | 34 minutes |
| Studio / Distributor | Netflix |
| Premiere | Camden International Film Festival, 2023 |
| Release Date | October 15, 2023 (Netflix, global) |
| Where to Stream | Netflix |
Who Composed the Camp Courage Soundtrack?
Nathan Halpern and Chris Ruggiero co-composed the score for Camp Courage.
Nathan Halpern is an Emmy-nominated composer whose credits include Minding the Gap (Hulu), The Family Business: Trump and Taxes (Showtime), and The Workers Cup. He frequently scores social-issue documentaries, pairing sparse piano and strings with intimate, character-driven storytelling.
Chris Ruggiero is a composer and music producer who has collaborated with Halpern on several projects, including Minding the Gap, and has scored Nanfu Wang’s documentaries Hooligan Sparrow, I Am Another You, and One Child Nation.
The lead theme, “Behind the Sky,” features vocals from Emily Forsythe and also appears in a stripped-down acoustic version at the close of the album.
Camp Courage Soundtrack – Every Song
All tracks are composed by Nathan Halpern and Chris Ruggiero. You can stream the score on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
| # | Track | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Behind the Sky (feat. Emily Forsythe) | 2:25 |
| 2 | Camp Courage | 1:06 |
| 3 | Arrival | 1:46 |
| 4 | Mustard Seed | 1:00 |
| 5 | Mountainside | 2:27 |
| 6 | Bouquet | 2:00 |
| 7 | Scars | 2:09 |
| 8 | Amen | 2:57 |
| 9 | Mountain Seed | 2:11 |
| 10 | We Will Live | 3:17 |
| 11 | Behind the Sky (Acoustic Version) | 1:21 |
Who Is in Camp Courage?
As a documentary, Camp Courage doesn’t have a scripted cast – it follows real-life subjects Milana and her grandmother Olga, Ukrainian refugees who traveled to a summer camp in the Austrian Alps for families affected by the war. The film was produced by Marilyn Ness and Katy Chevigny of Big Mouth Productions, the company behind Netflix documentaries like Becoming and Dick Johnson Is Dead.
Where to Stream Camp Courage
Camp Courage is streaming exclusively on Netflix. The score by Nathan Halpern and Chris Ruggiero is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, and to purchase on Amazon Music. If you’re looking for more true-story soundtracks, browse our full streaming guide for where to find every title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Camp Courage?
Camp Courage was directed by Max Lowe, whose previous documentary shorts include Torn and Adventure Not War.
Who composed the Camp Courage soundtrack?
The score was co-composed by Nathan Halpern and Chris Ruggiero, longtime collaborators known for their work on Minding the Gap and several Nanfu Wang documentaries.
Is Camp Courage a true story?
Yes. It is a documentary that follows Milana, a young Ukrainian girl, and her grandmother Olga as they attend a summer camp in the Austrian Alps for families displaced by the Russia-Ukraine War.
How long is Camp Courage?
The documentary has a runtime of approximately 34 minutes.
Where can I watch Camp Courage?
Camp Courage is available exclusively on Netflix, where it began streaming globally on October 15, 2023.
Related reading: check out our soundtrack guide for Superpower (2023), another Ukraine-war documentary scored for streaming, or browse the full Netflix soundtrack hub for more true-story scores.