The Distant Barking of Dogs

The war came to us last summer.

It seems as if our lives are frozen.

We are like animals hiding from the winter and waiting for the cold to end.

Be careful, Olezhka!

Slowly and carefully.

Split, damn you!

Oh, Oleg...

Give me a piece and I will show you.

I'll take the big axe and split one log.

Step back, OK?

- But you aim just like me! - Of course.

I'm just bigger and stronger than you.

I'm also strong, but my logs just fly sideways.

You'll learn. Let's carry these.

That's it. Thanks for your help, sweetie.

Give Grandma your hand.

The situation in the Mariupol sector is restless along the entire frontline.

In this area the enemy was violating ceasefire over the day.

The largest number of militants' attacks was registered in Hnutove, Shyrokyne...

58 mortar shells and 20 artillery and tank shells were launched at our positions.

As usual they are shooting before dawn and after sunset.

You're leaving me behind again. You're leaving me behind.

I miss you. Do you miss me too?

- Are you done? - Yep.

- Why so quickly this time? - I don't know.

Why so quickly?

- Are you crying? - Yes, I'm crying.

- Aren't you crying? - Not really.

Don't know why, but I am crying.

Let's stand here a little bit more.

- You can talk to her too, if you want. - Oh, but...

Your mom...

She's so happy that you came. Yes.

- You think mom heard what I whispered? - Sure. Your mom sees and hears you.

Shall we go?

Bye, Mom.

- At Mom's funeral, there was... - So you do remember!

When Natasha passed away -

Oleg was too young.

He didn't even cry.

We are part of this place, part of this land.

We would leave with nothing...

But our souls are rooted in this house.

You're not running away!

Nice kitty.

Shoo!

Yarik!

Look! What's it doing?

Stupid!

- Go away! - Stop it, Yarik!

Aunt Alyona...

That dog soiled our snow.

What if we do the same thing in its backyard?

- Right on the dog! - Yeah!

It's an army dog.

No, it's not.

There's the army dog. Probably the one that ran there.

You might see a suspicious object. Never come close to it.

You're living in a territory where fighting happens. The war is here.

The war brings a lot of things that can harm you.

There are also butterfly mines. They explode in the air and spread shrapnel.

If there is a mine on the road, and a driver or a cyclist is going by -

- they should leave the vehicle and wave their hands like this to warn everyone.

Yes, that's true.

- And there is also the tripwire mine. - That's right.

- Even I know how to make one. - Really?

Then tell us!

It's easy. You connect a string or a rope to something explosive.

Yes, that's right. So we should be careful.

- My father will go to war soon. - Is that so?

And you'll tell your father to be careful.

Right?

LOOK UNDER YOUR FEET

Spin me like that, Kostya!

You should gain speed at first.

Okay.

Flying off!

- You nearly tore me apart! - Me too!

What else, you morons?

Give me!

They can explode!

- Really? - Yes.

So cool!

Will you give me one as a present?

It's forbidden to have those.

Not even one.

And why can you have them?

I found those.

- Please! - This one they gave me as a present.

- Have you ever found any like these? - No!

One of these costs seven dollars.

- Seven? - Yes, seven.

And this one costs much more.

It's got gunpowder inside.

The gunpowder is rumbling in there!

Oleg!

Step back!

A hit!

- Yeah! - Bada bing!

That's enough!

You hit it!

You... Ouch.

- Is it bad? - You...

I cut myself.

- Show me where. - I see it.

It's there.

- Where? - Are you blind?

I'll take that out. Move over.

Fuck!

- Where is it? - There!

- Here? - Yes!

- Come on, show me! - Don't. Go away.

- Where it is exactly? - Here...

- There it is. - Where?

- We have to wash your hands. - Right.

The frontline starts right behind these hills.

When the soldiers arrived -

people moved away.

But we are not moving.

Like we say in Ukraine -

- "Every dog is a lion in its own home."

Put it over here, and we should take those out.

- The jars? - Yeah. Those.

Enough.

When a bomb explodes, the ground trembles.

The jars may break and the debris may hit us.

- If they start shooting... I will sleep there. - You and Yarik will be there.

I will sleep here.

Olezhka -

- let me put a blanket over you, it's cold.

- Warmer now? - Yes.

I'll rock you and sing you a song.

You told me you wanted a song.

I will sing a lullaby. "Rock-a-Bye, baby -

Don't lie down on the edge of the bed."

- Are you afraid? - Yes.

This is very scary, sweetie.

The sound was terrible, something was banging on the roof.

The entire house was shaking.

A shell hit a neighbor's yard, two houses away from us.

The shell exploded in the yard, and a fragment hit the house.

At that moment he was sitting at the table...

And the fragment chopped off half of his head.

He was dead.

His wife came out in a state of shock...

Unable to speak.

She lost her speech because of fear.

It was all quiet, and then it began. I have no idea where, maybe near you.

Too close.

I didn't even change my clothes. Went to bed just like that.

- They were shooting. - I know.

- They're shooting over there. - That's just thunder.

- I see a canon. - No, Yarik, that's thunder.

Why are you laughing? Yesterday it wasn't so funny.

If you say they're shooting, I should laugh at you too.

Remember they were shooting yesterday? This is where the bomb fell.

And killed people.

Not people, militaries!

They probably wanted to attack, to cross the river.

- There must have been a lot of blood. - Right.

You know what?

Let's jump into the river and cross it to see what's there.

Where are you going?

Rub it in like this.

- All over my face? - Yes, all over your face.

- Even my eyes? - Yeah.

Aunt Alyona, you're like Rapunzel!

- No. - I'll brush it, you can make a braid.

Mom, can I do this too?

You will be pretty!

The most beautiful lady in the world.

In the whole world?

- Thank you! - Mom!

Thank you! Now I will do it myself, ok?

Auntie Alyona, where are you going?

I'll be back in the evening.

I don't know exactly when we'll finish.

You will go to the shop first?

Well, yeah, to buy something.

Can I go with you, Mom?

No, you'll wait for me at home, why do you need to go to the shop with me?

Alyona has fallen in love with Igor.

Igor is a soldier...

He will take her and Yarik away from here.

Far away - to safety, to another part of the country.

Four houses were damaged in a hostile attack in Hnutove...

It's slippery!

Oh, hello!

That's it!

Now you!

I have cocoa.

- Wait, wait! - Cocoa?

I want cocoa!

Are you planning to go to the river?

Are you going with Kostya?

If he wants to.

Did you hear today's shooting? Did you, Yarik?

Be careful, okay?

There may be new shellings.

Understand?