Screened in competition at the Locarno International Film Festival, the drama questions whether one can preserve their identity in a world caught up in rewriting what it means to be a man, a woman, or a Ukrainian. German filmmaker Stever focuses on the less visible intersections of gender, identity and nationality – doing so in a way that feels incredibly raw and personal.

The two of them are young and living through significant changes: some driven by choice, others – by violence and military aggression. When Oleh decides to pursue gender transition, the couple’s relationship is put to the test by the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The 2022 war in Ukraine transforms a deeply personal story into a matter of survival – it reflects on the right to be oneself, to love and to choose one’s own life at a time when society demands rigid roles and a clear, unified identity. Where do the borders of your, my and our love lie?  

An attempt to “place war’s brutality against the fragile quiet” that is how director Stever and screenwriter Anna Melikova describe the story. Together with a Ukrainian and German crew (with this emotionally nuanced work produced by modern-day classic Tom Tykwer), they drew inspiration from the experiences of friends and the film’s team. An intimate and visually impactful chronicle of choices, addressing the themes of love, freedom, and identity against the backdrop of an ongoing war. Choosing to portray the realities of war indirectly – through language, conversations, and the silences between – this feature film asks whether, in war, the boundaries of personal identity and the right to live one’s life become secondary when our shared borders are violated.