War reporting from Ukraine mostly shows the horrors of the frontline. Sergei Loznitsa takes a different approach in The Invasion. In commentary-free scenes, the film observes daily life in a country at war. The powerful 15-minute prologue presents a funeral ceremony for four soldiers, setting the tone for what is to come: a film in which all aspects of everyday life are visible and palpable.
Just as explicitly as in the funeral prologue, the effects of Russia’s invasion are also manifest in the scenes of schoolchildren in a bomb shelter, of soldiers with amputated limbs undergoing rehabilitation, and of a devastated apartment block where rescue workers search desperately for survivors. But the miseries of war are also made felt at a wedding, for which the groom wears a military uniform. What kind of future awaits this couple?
Despite fear and uncertainty, there’s a fighting spirit that will not be dampened. Filmed over a period of almost two years, The Invasion portrays a courageous and resilient people who will not be robbed of their independence.
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