2000 Meters to Andriivka

A narrow strip of wooded land between two minefields in eastern Ukraine is the only route to Andriivka. This village, occupied by Russian forces, holds great strategic value. In 2023, a Ukrainian platoon sets out to reclaim it. Journalist and filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, known for his documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, follows the soldiers closely.

The road to Andriivka is only two kilometers long, but it takes the soldiers three months to get there. Footage from helmet cameras and drones shows why: the area is an apocalyptic battlefield, covered in burnt trees and the bodies of dead soldiers. Bombs fall constantly. These are chilling images of a war that holds the entire country in its grip.

Chernov reflects in voice-over on its impact: he describes life before the Russian invasion and how the soldiers on the battlefield will meet their end. His account confronts us with the total dislocation that war brings.