Without showing any explicit battle footage, this film nevertheless manages to show the life of Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers on the Donetsk front. Images of ruin and destruction from places that only recently were the scenes of fighting are transformed into a tragicomic parable of survival in a provisional space-time. Looting is a daily occurrence, and going out in search of booty becomes a boyish adventure during which the participants explore places only recently inhabited by private individuals. And when all this is recorded by a Polish television crew headed by a canny female reporter, an existential satire is born. The war is there, but somewhere around the corner.

This is a War, Baby

Yarik "Rascal" Godunok - the commander of a volunteer squad in the Russo-Ukrainian War. His small unit held the defense of one of the villages in Kyiv region against Russian troops for almost a month. During this time, he survived many shellings, got wounded several times, and had to overcome the distrust of military officials.

Yarik the Rascal

A mission of a Ukrainian soldiers' group belonging to a territorial self-defense battalion. They are en route to a battle position situated in a "gray zone," mere hundreds of meters away from enemy positions. Their task involves spending two days concealed from enemy fire, discreetly observing the adversary, assisting in artillery fire adjustments, and simply surviving. In the event of an attack, their role is to be the first to engage in combat.