The Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program (TCUP) at Harvard University Ukrainian Research Institute hosted its annual conference in late January. The conference, titled “Solidarity Within and Beyond Ukraine,” brings together academic research and policy initiatives that analyze ongoing issues in the country. On Jan. 29, the conference held a screening for the documentary film 2000 Meters to Andriivka, directed by Mstyslav Chernov.​

“2000 Meters to Andriivka” follows Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive — closely observing a platoon on a mission to liberate the village. The group of Ukrainian soldiers must cross a fortified forest. Most of the film is shown from the perspective of Ukrainian soldiers. The film displays the realities of trench warfare as the camera encapsulates death and destruction.  

The documentary captures the rawness of the Russo-Ukrainian war. The film is divided into chapters that count down, in meters, Ukrainian advancement toward Andriivka. Each shot creates a tense spatial awareness. The documentary silences audiences through its focus on individual soldiers in the act of battle. The sheer destruction of the land and its people leaves a lasting mark. Chernov is able to portray the emptiness that war breeds. Every breath seems to become a little more meaningful as guns and bombs strike inches away from the camera. Gray, green and red make up the haunting color composition of the film. Sonic debris from war and multiple casualties are marked throughout.  ​

At one point, Chernov asks a soldier, “What if this war lasts until the end of our lives?”  

Chernov brings forth the unsettling reality of death, loss and grief that lingers behind wartorn regions. The filmmaker does not indulge in censorship or shy away from political discourse, but rather pushes audiences to consume what is the honest reality for many living amidst the ongoing battle. The documentary depicts a pyrrhic victory that leaves behind a lingering sense of melancholy. The land has been transformed to house a wasteland of ash and bodies.

The film leaves behind a haunting remark and a warning to future generations about the ugliness of humanity.