Poem from the Borders (2022)

It would be conforming to say that we are facing “unprecedented times” in Europe, but it would be dishonest to state so. The Russian Federation has attacked sovereign Ukraine and shook the whole balance of Europe. The news is full of stories from the spot. War does not affect only the soldiers on the field, but the side effects cover vast entities; international organizations, state officials, rescue workers, volunteers. But the smallest denominator of war is often a child. This smallest piece of the puzzle is unable to understand the entire reality of which it is a part of. Theirexperience consists of short moments, full of unclarity,sadness and often even happiness.
The film tries to depict what goes around in the heads of these children, as we follow through the lens a bus full of Ukrainian refugees fleeing towards Finland. To get a better understanding of what a young individual goes through in
such a hectic event, we hear stories from ones who have experienced it all - old Karelians. Karelia province was a large part of Finland until the Second World War, during which it was evacuated twice, second part being the last time many of its’ residents saw their homes for good. In the eastern parts of Karelia, the evacuation often took place with an hour's notice, when the enemy was already storming through the borders. This caused people to hit the road quickly, their life packed only in bags they could carry by themselves. This has happened before, and it happens now. Th stories dating back almost 80 years are not that different from the reality we are seeing now. These two levels of the film create a third one, running deeper in symbolism. The similarities grow through the story, and the viewer might get a glimpse into the mind of an Ukrainian refugee child, even though they are saying very little.

Keywords: bus ride | hopes | refugees | war in Ukraine | being on the road | World War II | Ukrainians | View all »