‘I can't leave, this is my home.’ In an abandoned village in Donbass, only Sergiich and Pashka remain. The story takes place in January 2022, and although the film is adapted from Andrey Kurkov’s 2018 novel, the unchanging reality of the "grey zone" between Russia and Ukraine seems as relevant today as ever.

There may be countless films about war and hundreds about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but what makes Moiseiev’s film remarkable is its focus on the psychological and emotional toll of war rather than showing the war itself. While the sounds of bombs rumble in the background, the camera's attention remains on the unnoticed details of daily life in the small village. Iron and fork; we never stray from the perspectives of the two characters as they anxiously await the inevitable. The director deliberately avoids focusing on the war itself, instead highlighting the lives of the two villagers, a lone soldier, and the eerie, abandoned houses. The ghost village of Donbass is eerily cloaked in snow. The film moves in perfect harmony with life in Donbass, slowly counting the days, pressing forward towards the inevitable end despite the bombs.

Moiseiev's third feature, Grey Bees, is a must-see, offering a unique technique and perspective in a world where war stories often overshadow the human experience.