Welcome to POV.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of
Wisconsin Public Television's Director's Cut.
Tonight, we travel to the war-torn area of Eastern Ukraine
with the documentary, "The Distant Barking of Dogs."
The story is told through the eyes of 10-year-old Oleg
who is literally growing up in a war zone.
As many of the people in Oleg's town have deserted
due to the war, Oleg and his grandmother remain,
having nowhere else to go.
Oleg and his cousin experience an adolescence very few know,
spending their days seeking adventure
in their war-torn town, amidst periodic anti-aircraft fire
and missile strikes which in effect provide a haunting score.
Danish Director Simon Lereng Willmont opts not to use
a narrator and let's his picture tell the story
as he follows young Oleg for a whole year.
Juxtuposed against the bleak setting
of Wilmont's war-torn visuals
is the bond Oleg shares with his grandmother,
who hides her fear at times by taking to housework
just so Oleg won't see her hands shaking.
The film highlights the bond between Oleg and his grandmother
that shows just how important close relationships are
for our survival... especially in times of war.
"The Distant Barking of Dogs"
starts now on Wisconsin Public Television,
your home for Independent Film.