Before Russia’s invasion in 2022, the eastern region of Donbas in Ukraine had already experienced some of the bloodshed that was soon to come on a much larger scale. Shot in 2019, Alisa Kovalenko’s moving documentary captures the restlessness and dread that hung over the small towns in then Ukrainian-controlled territory. At the same time, despite the misery of war, a group of friends dare to dream of faraway horizons.
All in their late teens, Andriy, Ruslan, Ilya, Lisa and Lera win a competition to travel to the Himalayas. The exciting prospect of the trek, with the promise of majestic vistas and new encounters, starkly contrasts with their everyday reality where the sounds of bombs and gunshots are so commonplace that they barely warrant a reaction. At one point, the camera lingers on a bullet-ridden wall on which flowers and graffiti are drawn. This small but striking moment articulates the resilient spirit of this mining town, where beauty can still bloom in the face of violence. Economic precariousness also casts a dark shadow over the future of the young generation. In one scene, Ruslan spends a day in a coal mine working alongside his father, who intends this experience to be both a lesson and warning.
This atmosphere of physical and psychological claustrophobia evaporates when the teenagers finally embark on their trip to Nepal. As the frame opens up to take in the awe-inspring mountain ranges, we also see the camaraderie that flourishes among these international travellers. But these moments of friendship are fleeting next to the coda, which reveals the heartbreaking fates of the friendship group. However the film closes not with despair but golden-tinged footage of the teenagers in happier days, their smiles communicating a hope of reunion, and of peace.
Article by:Source: Phuong Le
