Animals in War is a poignant anthology film inspired by true stories of animals impacted by the war in Ukraine. A collaboration between Ukrainian and international artists — including actor and activist Sean Penn — the film is a haunting yet captivating call for global awareness and empathy.
Famous Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Pecherytsia, who was supposed to go on tour to Lviv on February 24 with the play “Stolen Happiness”, instead took up arms and went to defend Ukraine in the Kharkiv region. During his rotations and vacations, Oleksandr played in the theater, gave concerts, studied to become a military psychologist, and tried to communicate with his young son as often as possible. Over time, he began to feel a certain duality in his life: the world of war and the world of art, to which he equally belonged, could not coexist in one person; an empty house and short moments with his son only reminded him of the happy times when his family was close; uncertainty about the future of his career, family, country and the inability to influence anything made Oleksandr think about the question “what is the purpose of life for me now?”
The tale unfolds around an ancient witch from the Ukrainian town of Konotop, who long ago abandoned her extraordinary powers after falling in love with a mortal man. However, tragedy strikes when her beloved is brutally murdered by the russian soldiers as they occupy Konotop in February 2022. Fueled by grief and a thirst for revenge, she reclaims her supernatural abilities, embarking on a blood-soaked quest to mete out justice to her fiancé's killers.
The story of two boys, best friends, who are both madly in love with a beauty of the village. This love is a big challenge for their friendship. What is more, they can no longer withstand the third competitor. A young man in a military uniform appears (the story is set in the postwar period). He immediately “gets down to business” in the hayloft. The two losers decide to commit suicide and thus punish the treacherous Nuska.