I Have a Friend

January, 2022. Long-time neighbours and miners Serhiich and Pashka live in a small village in the Donbas. 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.

This gorgeous movie—artfully composed in a muted sandy palette with exquisite attention to visual detail—takes place on the shores of the Black Sea in Crimea, where a group of neighbors seek tranquility and fulfillment fishing and striving to live lives of meaning, outside the bustle and cynicism of city life. This is a film about universal themes of human interaction and love and explores the full range of human desires and relationships. Such Beautiful People is a gentle story of gentle people striving to make their lives better, to find true happiness, and to better understand one another. (via cinema.indiana.edu)

After losing a close person, Olga is left alone with her grief. With no one to share the loss with, she buys a car and goes on a journey around Kyiv and its surroundings. On her way she meets people who have lost themselves: some through constant lies, others because of a bad choice.