The Distant Barking of Dogs

10-year-old Oleg sprints across the fragrant field with his cousin, Yarik, for a swim in a nearby river. But the idyll is broken, and squeals of delight can’t hide the sounds of war. Oleg lives with his grandmother, Alexandra, in the village of Hnutove in Donetsk, East Ukraine. The river Kalmius marks the front line, where the Ukrainian Army and Russian-backed separatists fight. Many have escaped into safer areas, but Oleg has nowhere to go. His mother is dead, his father sick and his grandmother’s health is failing. When the war gets too scary, Oleg seeks refuge in the arms of his grandmother. The love and security they give each other help them tough it out in the midst of war and poverty. For 1,5 years, Simon Lereng Wilmont followed Oleg growing up among the roaring battles. The teenage boy next door, Kostia, teaches the younger kids to use weapons, and the school curriculum includes sheltering drills. A Danish-Swedish-Finnish co-production, the documentary is a reminder of the suffering of children and the still continuing war – right inside Europe.
Anna-Sofia Joro (Translation: Liina Härkönen) (DocPoint)