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In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, visual artist and filmmaker Alina Maksimenko finds herself alone in Irpin, a town near Kyiv, recovering from surgery with her leg in a cast. As bombs rain down and the city becomes increasingly isolated, she narrowly escapes with her cat in one of the last evacuation groups. She makes her way to a nearby village where her parents, Tetiana and Anatoli, are stuck. At first, the family attempts to maintain a semblance of normalcy amid the escalating conflict. Tetiana continues teaching music lessons online, Anatoli cares for his many cats and the pets of neighbours who have fled, and Alina documents their lives and the surrounding events with her camera. However, as the front line draws closer, Alina captures the growing tension and the increasingly strained relationships as the family faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: stay or flee? Reflecting the uncertain reality of the ongoing war in Ukraine, this cinematic diary of the Maksimenko family's struggle for survival reveals the profound impact of conflict on ordinary lives. Through a mesmerising interplay of visual storytelling and sonic improvisation on percussion instruments, the film probes themes of home, displacement, resilience, and the enduring bonds of family in the face of war's brutal disruption.

  • Year
    2024
  • Runtime
    71 minutes
  • Country
    Ukraine, Poland
  • Premiere
    NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
  • Director
    Alina Maksimenko
  • Producer
    Filip Marczewski, Katarzyna Madaj - Kozłowska