Surgeon Serhiy is captured by pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine and is exposed to horrific scenes of humiliation, torture and dehumanization. After returning home from the infernal odyssey, Serhiy tries to settle into his comfortable apartment and rebuild his relationship with his ex-wife and daughter. But one day, a pigeon crashes against the window and he cannot deny the irreversibility of what he experienced. Valentyn Vasyanovych uses signature long-held, static camera shots to create beautiful, bleak miseen-scène, and portrays the horrific psychological impact and the healing process of surviving war trauma. Like his previous feature Atlantis (2019), the war in the East is hinting at the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region, so there is an oddly dystopian feeling to the languid everyday life that Serhiy returns to. This timely and relevant parable is a strong anti-war statement with a humane touch. (Karen PARK)