[2] The film introduces the Donbas region of southeastern Ukraine through aerial shots and alternating scenes of military and civilian activities.

[4] Having just completed elementary school, his family fled their home in Syria during the Syrian Civil War[5] to resettle in Lysychansk, Luhansk region, Ukraine, the hometown of his mother.

While in Germany for his brother's wedding, his parents urge him to seize the opportunity to migrate to the stability of Western Europe, but his personality forces him to continue his humanitarian work for those most in need.

[9][10] After the unexpected death of his father Lazgin, Suleyman tries to honour his wishes by bringing his body to Syria for burial but again faces obstacles.

[13] Director Alina Gorlova planned to film in the disputed territory of Donbas as it came to notice globally in March 2014 due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

[14] Originally envisioned as a short, character-driven documentary, Gorlova realized during filming that it could be greatly expanded to convey a broad message about war beyond the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

[16] After talks with DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Gorlova developed the project into a full feature.

[14] The most difficult technical and ethical scene was Lazgin's funeral, which Gorlova filmed with a Syrian camera crew, without the aid of Tsvietkov or direct sound.

[22][13] The score was composed by Goran Gora (instrumentals) and Serge Synthkey (electronic), with sound design by Vasyl Yavtushenko.

[7] Mesmerizing wide shots alternate with rapid, turbulent editing to evoke the tense and uneasy atmosphere of the setting.

[4] Jessica Kiang of Variety found that this approach, enhanced by the bleak black-and-white cinematography and bare electronic music, was essential to Gorlova's telling of an "ambitious chaos theory of war".

[7][6] The film frequently juxtaposes images of military machinery with humanitarian and cultural activities, destruction with reconstruction, life and death.

[3] Cinematic expressionism techniques reinforce the sense of losing control as Suleyman is swept along by the currents of war and peace.

Kiang praised the film as "a brave and uncompromisingly artistic attempt to outline [...] the psychological and philosophical displacement [of war]", while noting that some viewers might be dissatisfied by the lack of political commentary.