Yurii Kulinich

Four short stories are set along the roads of Donbass during the war. There are no safe spaces and no one can make sense of just what is going on. Even as they are trapped in the chaos, some manage to wield authority over others. But in this world, where tomorrow may never come, not everyone is defenseless and miserable. Even the most innocent victims may have their turn at taking charge.

A group of friends in frontline Kharkiv discovers abandoned cars inside a war-shuttered shopping mall and turns them into the core of an underground racing scene. What begins as an escape from reality quickly becomes a rule-free game powered by bets, clout, and danger. As adrenaline and social-media fame escalate, every race could be their last, and the stakes now include friendship, trust, and holding on to who they are.

A seventeen-year-old village school graduate, a guy nicknamed Kazan, dreams of becoming a famous rapper and winning the heart of Sveta. For the sake of his dream, he is willing to risk everything, but circumstances steer his life in a different direction.

Anton is alone in a bunker on the front line when the entrance is hit and the bunker collapses. The soldier is trapped. All the initial optimistic efforts to escape the situation are hopeless. Attempts to establish radio communication with the outside world do not succeed. Fortunately, there is water, food, batteries, but it is becoming increasingly clear that... Then a companion comes from somewhere, a rat. Is this little creature the last living soul to witness the end of Anton?

Motherly love has no limits. When a son is in danger, the mother does not hesitate to rush to his aid. For the sake of saving the child, she is ready to do anything. She even is ready to go through the hell of war. When Sofia finds out that a transport plane, the pilot of which is her son, was shot down, she sets off for the front line. Her journey is full of dangers. She does not know whether her son or any other member of the crew survived. She has no friends there on the unfamiliar territory, no helpers, no clear plan. There is only her willpower. But it is her will and love that help her to find people who begin to sympathize and help her, and thereby change themselves. A dangerous journey turns her from the mother of one pilot into the mother of all who need to be saved, who need the spiritual rebirth. She is ready to come for even those whom she considered an enemy.

The story of a careless boy Vlad, who decides to help his uncle, a former policeman. Rescuing a girl who has fallen into kidnappers' hands, Vlad faces a harsh reality that completely changes his behavior view and him.

Di's life consists of three things: tea, bonsai and murder. She is an elite killer. But another order will soon change everything.

A father takes his sons out on an ice fishing trip. The younger one is happy to spend time with his dad, while the older one keeps a deep resentment towards his father, who once abandoned the family. At one point, the trip turns into a challenge in which everyone faces a difficult choice.

‘The Cyborgs’ is re-telling the recent history of Ukraine – the legendary fight for Donetsk Airport in 2014 during Russian invasion. The freedom fighters from various divisions of Ukrainian army and volunteer battalions took a 242-days stand against the Russian backed militants until the complete destruction of the airport’s terminal.

A young girl, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, is kidnapped while walking. Her bodyguard Artem has a difficult mission to save his ward.

Captured Cossack Maksym Soroka faces Death, who comes to claim him. Refusing to surrender, he worries more for his comrades and tries to outwit Death, questioning whether his soul would go to heaven or hell. Their clash reveals ambiguous moments from the Cossack's past.