Animals in War is a poignant anthology film inspired by true stories of animals impacted by the war in Ukraine. A collaboration between Ukrainian and international artists — including actor and activist Sean Penn — the film is a haunting yet captivating call for global awareness and empathy.
Famous Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Pecherytsia, who was supposed to go on tour to Lviv on February 24 with the play “Stolen Happiness”, instead took up arms and went to defend Ukraine in the Kharkiv region. During his rotations and vacations, Oleksandr played in the theater, gave concerts, studied to become a military psychologist, and tried to communicate with his young son as often as possible. Over time, he began to feel a certain duality in his life: the world of war and the world of art, to which he equally belonged, could not coexist in one person; an empty house and short moments with his son only reminded him of the happy times when his family was close; uncertainty about the future of his career, family, country and the inability to influence anything made Oleksandr think about the question “what is the purpose of life for me now?”
The tale unfolds around an ancient witch from the Ukrainian town of Konotop, who long ago abandoned her extraordinary powers after falling in love with a mortal man. However, tragedy strikes when her beloved is brutally murdered by the russian soldiers as they occupy Konotop in February 2022. Fueled by grief and a thirst for revenge, she reclaims her supernatural abilities, embarking on a blood-soaked quest to mete out justice to her fiancé's killers.
An honest and just judge, despite attempts at bribery and threats, dares to pass a fair sentence, and face with dire consequences.
The story is based on the history of Ukraine through the eyes of a long-lived Volyn peasant, Yakiv Mekh. Since childhood, he has been in love with Ulyana, but despite the reciprocity of feelings, her parents married her off to a boy from a wealthy family. Unable to change anything, Yakiv leaves the village. He joins the Polish army and meets a Polish noblewoman, Zosia... His fate includes wars, captivity, and the loss of loved ones, but its main outcome is the preservation of humanity and the ability to love.
Human history, which is against the will was drawn into historical conflicts.
The first film in a trilogy about the Soviet-Ukrainian war of the early twentieth century. The film is about the fate of two young men who volunteered to defend Ukraine and were almost immediately captured by the Reds. It is about loyalty to ideals and unscrupulousness. The film perfectly captures the atmosphere of those times, especially noticeable among the local population, this typical Ukrainian farming "my house is on the edge" attitude. As the director said, he didn't try to figure out who was right and who was wrong, so there are no unambiguously good or bad characters in the film, neither among the Red Army nor among the Petliura members. Among the disadvantages are some sound synchronization and sometimes unreliable acting, but the plot is as engaging as any story about the difficult fate of Ukrainians. The plot is quite predictable, but it is no less interesting in its performance.
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