The documentary takes an intimate turn when Serhiy interviews the director about her own relationship with a veteran, exploring themes of love and loss in the aftermath of conflict.
[1] Savina Petkova of Cineuropa wrote, 'Lesia Diak's tender portrait of a Ukrainian war veteran as a father is not afraid to interrogate itself […] It’s astounding how big of an impact keeping these self-reflexive scenes can have on an otherwise linear documentary and Lesia Diak is sensitive enough as a filmmaker to give in, in service of these moments of shared connection.
'[2] Amber Wilkinson of Screen International wrote, 'Diak breaks from the straightforward observational technique during several evening conversations she has with Serhiy, in which he turns the camera on her, resulting in footage that is understandably raw.
[…] Diak poignantly shows the battle for normality can be just as difficult as the fight for freedom.
'[3] Nick Cunningham of Business Doc Europe wrote, 'The film is as much a portrait of a marriage, or of parenting, as life away from war.