Ivan Sautkin's documentary 'A Poem for Little People' offers a raw, intimate look at the war in Ukraine through the lens of a volunteer evacuation team. Sautkin, a filmmaker who served on the team, captures the harrowing reality of civilians on the frontline, refusing to leave their homes despite the constant threat of explosions.
The film follows Anton, the calm leader of the volunteers, as they persuade a woman to evacuate with her paralysed brother and German shepherd. The journey is agonising, with cracked roads and the team questioning whether they are doing the right thing. There are no interviews or voiceovers, making the experience immersive but occasionally hard to follow.
In a second strand, Sautkin visits two women near the Russian border. Zinaida, in her 80s, spies on Russian troops from her window, recording tank movements for the Ukrainian army. Upstairs, her friend Taisia writes poems condemning the invaders. The film shows that there are no 'little people' in this conflict.
