Shards of Light

War has ravaged the Ukrainian city of Bucha, whose residents have endured unimaginable hostility and suffering. If hope remains a faint glimmer, the will to survive still shines through in this powerful and unflinching film.

War crimes haunt the residents of Bucha, years after Russian occupation. And yet, among the bodies and rubble, they band together with a determination to carry on. Children rehearse school plays, widows rebuild their houses and couples begin married life even as soldiers return to the front – perhaps never to return. Nothing can prepare people for life in a society shaped by war and, as time marches on, fissures in communities become increasingly evident. Is democracy strong enough to hold a people together? Following their acclaimed 2022 film When Spring Came to Bucha, Mila Teshaieva and Marcus Lenz continue to trace the city’s fight for survival. A tapestry of stories and characters reveal a precarious existence marked by devastation, uncertainty and a longing for peace.

Contains film scenes of conflict, bereavement, death and mental illness