Synopsis
Since 2 April 2022, the first day after the Russian army was driven back from Bucha, we depicted the lives of people radically changed by the war. We empathized with the people's pain and shared their horror at having woken up in a violent world. We captured the “point zero” as a personal record: the destruction and death, but also solidarity, resilience, and hope. The thin line between suffering and strength impressed us and with great sensibility, we observed how people find their way back into their lives, and how spring wins over despair. This resulted in a highly acclaimed film „When spring came to Bucha“ that became a personal and intimate record of life after the immediate disaster.
In December 2022 we went back to Ukraine to continue filming the new realities for our protagonists in the war-torn Bucha region. That’s been 300 days since the war started. Snow covers the landscapes that we last shot in the spring, our protagonists are living through the darkest and coldest time of the year without light. Russian targets Ukrainian power plants on a daily base, and electricity comes to households only for some hours a day. Life is reduced to the essentials by the light of flashlights and candles. We accompany a "new normal", in the war-torn zone. How does this harsh winter influence minds and souls of the people? They all have one main goal: to return to “normal”, to the mental and physical point until February 24, 2022. But how can it be possible when the war continues? And would it ever be possible to heal the wounds? Who will take the punishment for the crimes and ruined lives? Is justice possible at all and what would it be?
In December 2022 we went back to Ukraine to continue filming the new realities for our protagonists in the war-torn Bucha region. That’s been 300 days since the war started. Snow covers the landscapes that we last shot in the spring, our protagonists are living through the darkest and coldest time of the year without light. Russian targets Ukrainian power plants on a daily base, and electricity comes to households only for some hours a day. Life is reduced to the essentials by the light of flashlights and candles. We accompany a "new normal", in the war-torn zone. How does this harsh winter influence minds and souls of the people? They all have one main goal: to return to “normal”, to the mental and physical point until February 24, 2022. But how can it be possible when the war continues? And would it ever be possible to heal the wounds? Who will take the punishment for the crimes and ruined lives? Is justice possible at all and what would it be?
Gallery
