Adapted from Andrey Kurkov’s novel, published in the US in 2002, the action unfolds weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, yet this is far from being a predictable, black-and-white depiction of an enduring conflict. Moiseiev’s film is a laconic and quietly daring affair, stripping existence to its basics in the Donbas’s desolate ‘grey zone’ and focusing on the last two human remnants—a solitary beekeeper and his cynical, former schoolmate—in a village cut off from the world. Their views, like their lives, face opposite directions: one East, one West. Their dynamic, though, is the film’s beating heart—a desperate, droll co-existence where past enmity is subsumed by common hardship, bound by sheer proximity and necessity. With every distant blast and shared gesture of humanity, this tender, understated drama is a testament to connection as the final act of resistance, while also exploring the painful realization that living in limbo is no longer tenable.
Upcoming Shows
