Hold Your Breath

Geopolitical experts often describe the Russia-Ukraine war as if it were an abstract game of chess. It’s easy to forget that there are real soldiers at the front undergoing horrific experiences. Hold Your Breath follows mentally exhausted soldiers who are given a few weeks of respite at a safe haven in eastern Ukraine, removed from the frontline. Some seek professional help, while others simply bide their time.

In this quietly observational film, the soldiers talk about the impact of combat on their lives. One man can’t stop seeing the face of a Russian soldier he killed; another recalls the severed limbs of his fellow soldiers. With the help of therapists, some try to free themselves from these recurring images. Others try to find their own way to cope. The enemy is not the only source of psychological trauma. One soldier describes being left behind by a comrade after being wounded. Another recalls how his wife left him while he was recovering in a military hospital. In his view, the eyes of all soldiers tell the same story: “You look into nothingness. Their spirit is broken.”