Grey Bees

January, 2022. Long-time neighbours and miners Sergiich and Pashka live in a small village in the Donbass. Their lives would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that they are located in a grey zone at the heart of the conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces. They are neutral arbiters, frequently hosting members of one army or the other, each fully aware of what their neighbour is doing. But as fighting continues and resources diminish, both men know they must connect with a ravaged world beyond their homes. Dmytro Moiseiev’s thoughtful adaptation of Andrey Kurkov’s celebrated 2018 novel steers clear of the dominating tropes of conventional war films. It’s clear the region is torn apart by violence, but Moiseiev’s film instead focuses on the psychological and emotional impact of it. Grey Bees is all the more powerful for the small acts of humanity that these characters display, showing war and the devastation it brings through the unnoticeable details of the everyday. Although the two men have never been close and do not share the same views on the war, it appears to be the circumstances that connects them in strange ways. All of that is brilliantly delivered by actors Viktor Zdanov and Volodymyr Yamnenko, who make a great duo following the traditions of the classic buddy movies. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)