Two Ukrainian boys’ summer unfolds just miles from the frontlines

In Clear Sky, Vova, 12, and Roma, 14, move through the kinds of aimless days you might expect from two early-adolescent boys nearing the end of their summer break. They swim, bike, play with toy guns, attempt to clean cars for a bit of extra cash, and, of course, get into some mischief. However, living in Kramatorsk, Ukraine – a city that’s just miles from the frontlines of the Russo-Ukrainian War and often under heavy bombardment – destruction and the threat of invasion, or even death, suffuse every moment. In his powerful film, the Polish director Marcin Kundera provides an observational window into their world. In a series of cinematic shots, he skilfully frames Vova and Roma’s late-summer days with the reality of the uncertain, chaotic and violent moment in which it’s unfolding. Through this structure, the film forms a complex meditation on the concept of freedom.