A child on a swing, lighter than air, defying gravity, then burned-out tanks on the side of the road. Suddenly we hear voices in Russian. “Hi Mama, can you take a moment to talk?” The first in a series of phone calls between Russian soldiers and their families, intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence services and uploaded to YouTube. Juxtaposed with the often tableau-like shots of destroyed Ukrainian cities and villages, they create a haunting source of friction. Mundane conversations alternate with confessions of excessive violence and the internalised propaganda of those who remained behind at home. A language full of contempt and dehumanisation. Alas, alongside images of Putin’s mercenaries turned prisoners of war, we also repeatedly witness civilians returning to their homes. A remarkable experiment on cause and effect.

Oksana Karpovych is a Ukrainian-Canadian filmmaker, writer and photographer born in Kyiv. She lives and works in Kyiv and Montreal. In 2019, her first feature documentary, DON’T WORRY, THE DOORS WILL OPEN, won the New Visions Award at Montreal International Documentary Festival. In her personal projects, she explores the everyday life and oral histories of ordinary people and how state politics intrude into their private sphere. She is a graduate of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine and of Concordia University in Montreal.

Filmography (selection): 2017 TEMPORARY (short film), 2019 DON’T WORRY, THE DOORS WILL OPEN, 2024 INTERCEPTED

Awards (selection): Award for Best Direction (BAFICI Buenos Aires, Argentinia 2024), Award for Best Film on Social Issues (Krakow Film Festival, Poland 2024)