A film about the war in Ukraine like no other. Without showing a single shot fired—no wounds, tanks, or explosions—the filmmakers capture the heart of the conflict. Long, perfectly framed shots reveal lunar landscapes and the wrecked interiors of apartments claimed by the "Russian World" in 2022. The absurdity and brutality of war are laid bare by the occupiers themselves: the audio consists solely of intercepted conversations between Russian soldiers and their families, recorded by Ukrainian intelligence, in which they recount their wartime experiences. Some of these conversations will likely serve as evidence in war crime trials. This bold cinematic experiment, where sound and image amplify one another, mercilessly exposes the state of Russian society, consumed by toxic propaganda. A must-see in theaters.

Konrad Wirkowski