Photophobia Review – In the Kharkiv Railway Tunnels with a 12-Year-Old While Bloodshed Rages in the Sky | film

WAs war rages, hope continues to take root underground in Ivan Ostrochowski and Pavol Pekarczyk’s poignant documentary. Filmed in the Kharkiv metro in Ukraine, the film follows Nikita, an energetic 12-year-old boy, during his daily routine in what has become a cavernous bomb shelter. Seeking refuge from endless bombing and shelling, thousands call the metro their new home, bringing with them the barest of necessities. Lit by stark fluorescent lights, this underground bunker has no sunlight, yet it glows with the warmth of camaraderie and community.

Often, at Nikita’s eye level, the camera watches the metro through his gaze. An atmosphere of instability and danger hangs in the air, as residents speak of food scarcity, diseases caused by prolonged confinement, and bloodshed occurring just above ground. With its thundering tunnels, abandoned carriages, and wartime messages blaring through the internal speakers, the metro resembles a science-fiction dystopia; But, like Nikita, the photophobe looks for small joys in times of darkness. Although they have both experienced unimaginable loss and trauma, Nikita and his new friend Vika create their own adventures, and in these moments of play they are allowed to be children again.

Much of Nikita’s underground adventures are accompanied on the soundtrack by a guitarist named Vitaly, an itinerant performer at the station whose presence is similar to that of the musical narrator, adding a touch of magic that lifts the gloom. Through his songs, Vitaly keeps the fragile sense of normalcy alive and the desire for connection seems still alive, as he flirts with another older woman or offers worldly wisdom to Nikita. It is clear that across generations, from young to old, the resilience of the Ukrainian people remains alive and well.