'Homeward' a.k.a. 'Evge'

A country torn apart, the Ukrainian movie you must see.

It's culturally complicated.

A father and his youngest son transport the body of the older brother from Kyviv, the capital of Ukraine, to Russian-occupied Crimea. There's a deep rift in the family, a clash of culture and consequent desire.

The father is a Tatar and Muslim. His sons and wife left him to pursue a new life. His dead son was engaged to a woman outside of Islam. His younger son is a University student, having learned Ukrainian and now studying journalism. He wishes to return to Kyiv after one week whereas his father wants him to mourn for a longer period, and then remain at the home he built.

It's a family road trip movie, filled with meaning instead of the comedy of Hollywood. The unsaid question is, "What is it to be Ukrainian?" And how does family, with polar opposite views, fit into that?

'Homeward', also known as 'Evge', is one of the best Ukrainian movies I've seen. Considering the current narrative on war, it's notable that the dialogue is Russian. Nariman Aliev is a director to follow.

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