Anna’s War – Voyna Anny (2018)

Directed by: Aleksey Fedorchenko | 74 minutes | drama | Actors: Marta Kozlova, Ilya Belov, Sergey Fedorov, Konstantin Itunin, Egor Partin, Yekaterina Sokolova, Aleksandr Vakhov, Lyubov Vorozhtsova

The opening image of ‘Anna’s War’ is pitch black. Only the soundtrack stimulates the senses. A loud buzz predominates. Then suddenly there are gunshots and the sound swells. Indefinable voices are outdone by the roar of car engines. By only playing by ear, you as a spectator are drawn into the film in a clever way. The curiosity about accompanying images, partly due to the ominous film title, is naturally stimulated. What is going on here?

After a minute and a half the image reveals itself: a flattened grain field. The threat remains. A subtitle shows that we are in Nazi-occupied Russian territory. It is November 1941. World War II is in full swing. The wheat field is the final resting place for those who died in the shooting. All life seems to have been pulled from the mass grave. Until a young Jewish girl, gasping for breath, gives an unexpected sign of life.

The girl, wearing only long johns, is eagerly looking for food. That primary necessity of life is the first hurdle of a long, agonizing struggle for survival. Anna’s personal war against the evil outside world. The girl (an honest role by Marta Kozlova) eventually finds shelter in the chimney of a desolate-looking school building. There she learns, while observing, how the world works.

By mainly playing on the feeling, ‘Anna’s War’ is careful not to make the drama too big. Primary sensory perceptions take precedence over the mind. Childlike innocence is paramount. As a result, the viewer goes along on the same level of thinking as the young Anna. In addition to all seriousness, this also leaves room for fantasy. The result is a reality as seen through the eyes of a child.

The film is more about the development of life than about the destruction of death. The school building, a beacon of knowledge and personal growth, ensures that the war can never take the upper hand. Therein lies a sense of hope and resilience. Anna’s childlike innocence allows her to survive. Since her childhood can be seen as a symbol for humanity in general, there is always light on the horizon. All images of death and destruction are therefore regularly continued in ‘Anna’s War’ with a sign of life and hope. A stronger visual hold is provided by the white light of Anna’s wide-open eyes, which always manages to dominate the almost infinite darkness.