Mykhailo Matiukhin

Animals in War is a poignant anthology film inspired by true stories of animals impacted by the war in Ukraine. A collaboration between Ukrainian and international artists — including actor and activist Sean Penn — the film is a haunting yet captivating call for global awareness and empathy.

Kyiv, 1997. Small-time crook Slava Khvostov falls in major debt with Ivan Ivanovych, a mob bos with political ties. Struggling to find any semblence of a well-payed job, he decides to marry the wealthy, albeit unattractive Ilona Sirkova. However, there's a slight problem hindering his future nuptials. A few days prior to this anouncement, he had already promised that he was going to pursue a beautiful girl named Halya.

Marta, an ordinary girl from an orphanage, has no parents and above all dreams of a family. She is convinced that she lacks something to be adopted by her parents. Due to certain circumstances, the girl finds herself in the world of fantastic Christmas spirits who promise to give her the necessary qualities and make her dream come true.