HERE WE ARE NOW
A review by David Jackson
On 24 February 2022, the lives of 34 million Ukrainians were torn apart by an unprovoked and inhumane invasion of their country. HERE WE ARE NOW tells this story through the experiences of three ordinary Ukrainians; Natalia, who fled Maripol and is now in Germany, Olena, who fled Kyiv and is now in the UK and Andriy, who also fled Kyiv and is now in Brazil.
This is not simply a dispassionate report of a conflict or a retelling of the story of the opening days of the war, it's a collection of three powerful first-hand accounts of what it has been like to live through an invasion of a European country; an experience that has not been shared by anyone other than the Ukrainian people since the end of the Second World War. These three ordinary people have come through an experience that is unimaginable, and while still in the midst of life as a refugee have found the courage and the generosity to relive these experiences on camera for our benefit.
Adding to these moving first-hand accounts is a collage of footage from inside Ukraine during some of the most harrowing periods during the start of the war. While some of this is archival news footage, most of it is very personal footage from phones and body cameras. It's one thing to see a missile hit a tower block from a distant news camera set up in expectation of dramatic footage, it is another to see footage shot by a terrified civilian holding their phone out of the window of their apartment in the building opposite. It is no longer dramatic or exciting, it becomes personal and terrifying. This is especially true of the footage from inside Mariupol, which is harrowing, putting you in the shoes of civilians running from cover to cover in a daily hunt for fresh water and food during the siege of the city.
It's not just the horrors of escaping an invading army that has affected the lives of these three Ukrainians. The three participants also shed light on the experiences both good and bad of seeking refuge in a foreign country. The UK, Germany, and Brazil have all welcomed Ukrainian refugees to varying extents, but the feelings of loneliness and alienation are true for all who have fled the war. There is a quiet sadness that is fostered in the hearts of those living their lives in limbo and this film allows these Ukrainians to express it in their own words.
This deeply moving documentary is one of the must-watch films of this year's festival. It helps illuminate the inner turmoil and physical struggles of those who have fled Russia's attacks on Ukraine in a way that only cinema can achieve.